Myanmar’s military-led government has reduced the prison sentences of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a clemency connected to a religious holiday in the Buddhist-majority country, state media said Tuesday.
Former President Win Myint also had his sentence reduced as part of the clemency granted to more than 7,000 prisoners.
But Suu Kyi, 78, still must serve a total of 27 years out of the 33 she was originally imprisoned for.
The head of Myanmar’s military council, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, granted the clemency order to reduce the sentences in five cases against Suu Kyi in which she was convicted for violating coronavirus restrictions, illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies and sedition, according to a report on state MRTV.
She was initially sentenced for 19 offenses that her supporters and rights group say were attempts to discredit her and legitimize the 2021 army takeover while preventing her return to politics.
The clemency was announced a day after Myanmar’s military extended the state of emergency it imposed when it seized power from Suu Kyi’s elected government 2 1/2 years ago, forcing a further delay in elections it promised when it took over.
Several of Suu Kyi’s cases are awaiting final appeals.
Min Aung Hlaing pardoned a total of 7,749 prisoners and commuted the death sentences of others to commemorate the day the Buddha gave his first sermon, the MRTV report said.
The army leader also granted amnesty to 125 foreign prisoners and 22 members of ethnic armed groups, it added. The announcement said he dropped cases against 72 people connected to ethnic armed groups.
It wasn’t immediately clear if any of the released prisoners included the thousands of political detainees locked up for opposing army rule.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights monitoring organization, 24,123 people have been arrested in Myanmar since the army takeover. At least 3,857 civilians have been killed by security forces in the same period, the group says.
