Myanmar junta grants mass amnesty

The mass pardon, ordered by junta leader-turned-civilian president Min Aung Hlaing, also includes the commutation of all death sentences in the country.

Relatives gathered outside Insein Prison in Yangon to welcome those being released, though many political detainees remain behind bars.

Win Myint, a close ally of Suu Kyi, was ousted in the 2021 coup and had been serving a lengthy sentence for various charges.

Critics of the regime suggest the move is a calculated attempt to ease international pressure as the civil war reaches a stalemate.