62 civilians, arrested in connection with AA, released under amnesty

Among those released, 12 people hail from Sittwe, 10 from Kyauk Phyu, 17 from Thandwe, 9 from Buthidaung,  2 from Kyauk Taw,  3 from Taungup, 4 from Maungdaw and 5 from Ann township of Rakhine State, said a statement issued by Rakhine State military council.

They were freed after the junta closed the pending cases of 72 people suspecting their links with various ethnic armed organizations.

“In order to commemorate the holy day of Warso full moon (1-8-2023) and to promote ethnic unity & internal peace, criminal cases of over 60 people relating to the ethnic armed groups (who were prosecuted in various Rakhine courts) have been closed and they all were released,” said Rakhine State government in Sittwe.

Some of them faced trials under sections 17(1) and 17(2) of the unlawful association act and section 505 (a) of State sedition acts.

On 1 August, the military council released 7,749 individuals (who were serving sentences in various prisons), many of whose sentences were reduced.

Myanmar’s former President U Win Myint and State counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi were also granted amnesty with reduced prison terms.

Similarly, 22 members of various ethnic armed groups were also released. No less than, 125 foreign nationals also enjoyed the amnesty and they were deported subsequently.