YESTERDAY, the National Defence and Security Council of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, in honour of the 78th Anniversary of Independence Day and with a view to bringing peace to the people, on grounds of social leniency and in recognition of the State’s goodwill, pardoned 6,134 prisoners who had been sentenced for offences under any existing laws before 4 January 2026, subject to specific conditions.
The amnesty excluded prisoners convicted under the Murder, Rape, the Explosive Substances Act, the Unlawful Associations Act, Section 19 (f) of the Myanmar’s Arms Act (1878), the Arms (Emergency Punishment) (Temporary) Act (1949), the Arms (Temporary Amendment) Act (1951), the Shan State Arms Order (1924), the Arms Act (2023), the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the Natural Disaster Management Law, the Counter-Terrorism Law, and the Anti-Corruption Law.
Under the amnesty, prisoners who have been sentenced for any offence and are serving their terms in various prisons, detention centers, or camps have been granted a remission of one-sixth of their remaining sentences under Section 401 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. A total of 6,134 prisoners across the country have been granted this remission, with the stipulation that “if they commit another offence, they shall continue to serve the remaining sentence in addition to any new sentence they receive.”
The State has sentenced prisoners according to the crimes they committed, while ensuring that prisons and detention centres provide appropriate social, health, and other human rights standards. The prisoners released yesterday were joyfully welcomed by their parents and relatives. — MNA/TH
