Not a single political prisoner was included among the 317 granted amnesty by the Military Council to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the (Diamond Jubilee) Independence Day in Rakhine State.
U Myat Tun, director of the Arakan Human Rights Defenders, said that this act is not at all constructive, when we have hundreds of political prisoners arrested in Rakhine state.
“We had hoped for the release of those arrested on political charges. In fact no political prisoners were released under the amnesty. It is clear the Military Council still has a tough attitude regarding Rakhine state”, hecommented.
Under the amnesty commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Independence Day, 57
prisoners from Sittwe prison, 206 from Thandwe prison, 20 from Kyaukphyu prison and 30 from Buthidaung prison in Rakhine state were released.
A social activist who did not want to be named said, “As far as we know, there is no politician among those who have been released from prisons in Rakhine. The majority of the released are those who were imprisoned for crimes and drugs”.
A family member of a person who was arrested on suspicion of having links with the Arakan Army (AA), said he was saddened that none of the wrongfully detained political prisoners were released under amnesty.
“I want those who have been unjustly arrested to be released as soon as possible. Now many people imprisoned for crimes like theft and robbery were released under amnesty. This kind of situation is sad. We had travelled a long way in the hope that he would also be released”, he said.
A family member who waited hopefully in front of Sittwe Prison for the release of a man who had been sentenced to many years in prison for allegedly aiding the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) commented, “It is just a hypocrisy that the Military Council releases prisoners under this amnesty. In reality none of those arrested on political charges were released.”
317 prisoners in jails from Rakhine states were released under amnesty around 2:00 PM on January 4th.
The released prisoners were notified that, if they committed the same crime again, the new punishment will be added to the old punishment cancelled under the amnesty, according to the Criminal Procedure Code section 401, sub-section 1.
