On May 8, the Karenni State Interim Executive Council (IEC) granted amnesty to five individuals, among them the rector and vice-rector of Loikaw University, who had been imprisoned under allegations of collaborating with the Junta, allowing their release, according to IEC’s Secretary General Khu Plu Reh.

"All five of them, including the rector, adhered to regulations during their time in prison. Additionally, some of them are elderly and experiencing declining health. Taking a humanitarian approach, we decided to grant them all amnesty”, he explained.

Following the amnesty review board's recommendation and in alignment with Article 32 of the Karenni Interim Judiciary, they were released from custody, reflecting a commitment to humanitarian sympathies, Khu Plu Reh stated.

Rector U Khing Aung Myint, Vice-Rector Daw Thidar, along with academic staff Daw Hla Lay, Daw Yin Yin Naing, and Daw Moh Moh Tun, were charged under Section 17/1 of the Unlawful Association Act for their association with the Junta and sentenced to prison terms. They have now all been released and returned to their homes.

"They have been sent back to their homes through secure routes. We have received confirmation that they have all returned home safely”, Khu Plu Reh said.

In November last year, amidst the fighting in Loikaw, the resistance forces helped the evacuation of 204 individuals, including non-CMD employees (those not involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement) and their families, who were trapped within the university campus.

Five individuals, including the rector, were transferred to IEC's legal department, where they underwent trials resulting in a verdict of two years in prison and a fine of 900000 MMK each.

Non-CDM employees and their family members were interrogated and later agreed to deportation, having signed personal commitments to abstain from engaging in any of the Junta's mechanisms in the future.