Myanmar Grants Amnesty to Over 4,000 Prisoners Under New President Min Aung Hlaing

Myanmar's newly elected President Min Aung Hlaing has approved the release of 4,335 prisoners, according to state broadcaster MRTV, marking the third amnesty issued in the country within six months. The announcement did not identify those receiving pardons by name.

Among those to be freed are 179 foreign nationals, who will subsequently be deported. The amnesty also includes the commutation of death sentences to life imprisonment, life sentences reduced to 40 years, and term reductions of one-sixth for other inmates. Such pardons are a longstanding tradition in Myanmar, typically coinciding with Independence Day in January and the Burmese New Year in April.

The move comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Myanmar's human rights record. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reports that over 30,000 individuals have been detained on political grounds since the military seized power in a 2021 coup. Among those still imprisoned is Nobel laureate and former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, who is serving a 27-year sentence on charges her supporters widely consider politically driven. The 80-year-old has not appeared in public since concluding her trials, and her exact location remains undisclosed. Her son Kim Aris confirmed in recent interviews that her health is deteriorating and that he has had limited contact with her.

This latest amnesty follows two earlier releases — one in November covering approximately 8,665 individuals, and another in January freeing more than 6,000 prisoners to mark Independence Day.

Min Aung Hlaing, 69, was formally elected president by parliament on April 3, consolidating his authority over a nation still gripped by civil war that has displaced more than 3.5 million people. At his inauguration, he pledged to prioritize peace, national stability, and reconciliation as the country navigates a deeply uncertain political landscape.