Myanmar Pardons Thousands of Prisoners to Mark Independence Day
The Facts
Myanmar's governing junta granted amnesty to thousands of prisoners on Thursday to mark the 76th anniversary of independence from Britain, with prisoner releases expected to take several days to complete.
Approximately 9.7K local detainees and 114 foreign inmates are reportedly set to be freed in twelve rounds and sent by bus to districts in the Yangon region.
The Spin
Narrative A
This is an act of benevolence toward thousands of prisoners on humanitarian grounds to mark the 76th Independence Day of Myanmar. With this move, the State Administration Council further stresses its willingness to promote public peace at home and friendly relations with other countries.
Narrative B
Make no mistake, this amnesty is merely a PR stunt to try to ease internal and international pressure. The vast majority of those freed are convicted drug criminals, not dissidents who have long been tortured. Out of the few political prisoners pardoned — none of which were high-profile figures — most had coincidentally nearly completed their terms.
