Myanmar Junta Frees Over 7,000 \u2018Terrorism\u2019 Convicts in Mass Amnesty
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\nMyanmar\u2019s military junta granted amnesty on Monday, March 2, 2026, releasing more than 7,300 prisoners convicted under laws prohibiting the financing of or support for \u201cterrorist groups,\u201d a label the regime uses for pro-democracy activists and armed groups opposing its rule.<\/p>\n
Since the 2021 military coup, thousands of civilians, including supporters of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, have been jailed, South China Morning Post reported. Activists and armed factions challenging the junta have faced life sentences and, in some cases, potential death penalties under the country\u2019s broad anti-terror legislation.<\/p>\n
A government statement said junta chief Min Aung Hlaing ordered the releases to mark a public holiday, citing \u201cthe peace of mind of the general public\u201d and \u201chumanitarian grounds.\u201d An AFP journalist at Yangon\u2019s Insein Prison, notorious for rights abuses, observed about 300 prisoners being released, welcomed by emotional relatives holding flowers and placards.<\/p>\n
In addition to those freed, the junta announced that nearly 12,500 people facing trial on similar terrorism charges will have their cases dropped. Another amnesty covered more than 2,800 prisoners and 10 foreign nationals, though specific offenses were not disclosed.<\/p>\n
Analysts say the amnesties may be part of a broader effort to soften the junta\u2019s image ahead of a nominally civilian government transition after elections in January, which saw the pro-military party secure an uncontested victory while Suu Kyi remains detained. The new parliament is scheduled to convene in two weeks, with a presidential vote expected in early April.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Myanmar Junta Frees Over 7,000 \u2018Terrorism\u2019 Convicts in Mass Amnesty ———————————- Myanmar\u2019s military junta granted amnesty on Monday, March 2, 2026, releasing more than 7,300 prisoners convicted under laws prohibiting the financing of or support for \u201cterrorist groups,\u201d a label the regime uses for pro-democracy activists and armed groups opposing its rule. Since the 2021 …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[3125],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-140537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-myanmar"],"yoast_head":"\n