“According to our documents, 63 political prisoners are released from various prisons by the amnesty of the president”, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), though it was not immediately clear how many would be permitted to leave their cells today.
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President Htin Kyaw took over as head of Myanmar’s first freely elected government after more than 50 years of often brutal military domination or control.
She added that the term “National League for Democracy-led government” does not necessarily mean the party holds both power and administrative duties; rather, it means the new government will do its works based on the party’s policies, which were presented to the people during the election campaign.
In a New Year day speech broadcast on television, Htin Kyaw stressed his government’s determination to release political prisoners, who were routinely jailed under the military leaders that strangled free expression in Myanmar for decades. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
The group was greeted with flowers by their relatives, who gathered at the prison the night before after learning of their release, he said.
The order was signed by Htin Kyaw on Saturday and a report by Reuters said that the pardon was aimed at “national reconciliation and peace of mind” as part of the celebrations for Myanmar’s new year.
The other NLD appointments to parliamentary leadership and government ministries have been calculated to demonstrate political and ethnic diversity, as well as civilian predominance.
On April 8, a total of 199 prisoners including political activists and students facing trial connected with politics were released from prisoners across the country. “We urge the new government to carry this momentum forward by strengthening Myanmar’s Constitution and laws to ensure that in the future no one will be imprisoned simply for exercising a fundamental human right”.
Nobel laureate Suu Kyi is beloved by many in Myanmar but blocked from becoming president by the same charter as her two sons carry foreign citizenship.
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But many challenges lie ahead, including a deeply flawed legal system, the military’s continuing clout, high poverty rates and civil wars in several ethnic minority states.
