Myanmar junta frees 4,500 in amnesty

The mass pardon is one of the first major acts by junta leader Min Aung Hlaing since he was installed as the country's civilian president last week.

While the release of Win Myint is seen as a significant gesture, human rights groups noted that hundreds of other political prisoners remain behind bars.

The junta also issued a blanket order commuting all death sentences to life imprisonment, a move critics say is intended to ease international pressure.

Despite the amnesty, the humanitarian situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate, with thousands of Rohingya refugees still fleeing the country by sea.