Protests against Myanmar's military junta in Wellington in April 2024. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Myanmar's military government will release 5864 prisoners, including 180 foreigners, under an amnesty marking the South-east Asian nation's independence day, state media says.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021, when the military overthrew an elected civilian government and violently suppressed pro-democracy protests, sparking a nationwide armed rebellion.
The junta has said it will hold elections this year, but the plan has been widely condemned by opposition groups as a sham.
Among those still imprisoned by the junta is the country's former leader, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
The 79-year-old is serving a 27-year sentence tied to 14 criminal charges ranging from incitement and election fraud to corruption. She denies all the charges, according to her lawyers.
- Reuters