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View all search resultsPrisoner ‘amnesty’ is no sign of reform in Myanmar
Such moves are a familiar tactic used by the military to project legitimacy and deflect international criticism
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Relatives celebrate with a family member after he was released from Insein prison in Yangon, Myanmar, on March 2, 2026 to mark Peasants' Day. Myanmar's military junta on March 2 announced amnesties for more than 7,000 prisoners convicted of financing or sheltering a “terrorist group“, a designation it has used to outlaw pro-democracy factions opposing its rule. (AFP/Sai Aung Main)
O
n March 2, Myanmar’s military junta announced an “amnesty”, including 7,337 prisoners who were charged under Sections 50(J) and 52(A) of the Counter Terrorism Law, a repressive law used to jail political prisoners.
At first glance, the move would appear to be a humanitarian gesture that follows their recent sham election. In reality, such announcements are a familiar tactic used by the military to project legitimacy and deflect international criticism.
Behind this facade, the broader machinery of repression in prisons for tens of thousands of political prisoners, and military atrocities across the country will continue.
My organization, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) monitors online sources and talks to our networks inside the country, to verify who has actually been released from prison.
The AAPP was founded by former political prisoners who were detained in the 1988 uprising in Myanmar, and were forced into exile upon release. In addition to tracking the condition of political prisoners, our civil society group provides human rights training to students, mental health counseling to trauma victims from the conflict, and financial assistance to those in need.
The Myanmar military, as with previous amnesties since the coup, has not disclosed the names of the prisoners released or how many were possibly rearrested shortly after their supposed freedom. Because of this, we cannot confirm whether all 7,337 individuals released under Counter Terrorism Law charges, deemed political prisoners, have been released. Documentary filmmaker Shin Dawei, for example, had appeared on an official release list but according to available reports, she remained detained.
Prior to the March 2 announcement, the AAPP had verified that more than 22,000 political prisoners were detained by the Myanmar junta, all since the 2021 coup. The recent announcement offers little reason for hope among the tens of thousands who remain behind bars, some facing decades-long sentences. For the more than 2,000 individuals who have died in detention since the 2021 coup, freedom will never come.
