Aung San Suu Kyi has some prison sentences reduced

BANGKOK (AP):

Myanmar’s military-led government has reduced the prison sentences of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a clemency connected to a religious holiday in the Buddhist-majority country, state media said on Tuesday.

Former President Win Myint also had his sentence reduced as part of the clemency granted to more than 7,000 prisoners.

But Suu Kyi, 78, still must serve a total of 27 years out of the 33 she was originally imprisoned for.

The head of Myanmar’s military council, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, granted the clemency order to reduce the sentences in five cases against Suu Kyi in which she was convicted for violating coronavirus restrictions, illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, and sedition, according to a report on state MRTV.

She was initially sentenced for 19 offences that her supporters and rights group say were attempts to discredit her and legitimise the 2021 army takeover, while preventing her return to politics.

The separate statement said that former President Win Myint was also pardoned for two offences he was convicted for, which were violating coronavirus restrictions and sedition, cutting four years from his 12-year combined jail term. Win Myint was initially sentenced for a total of eight offences.

NOT OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED

The military’s True News Information Team sent video footage to journalists in which the spokesperson for the ruling military council, Major General Zaw Min Tun, can be seen answering reporters’ questions and saying he has not received any information about the reports that Suu Kyi has already been transferred from prison to a residence in the capital, Naypyitaw.

“I haven’t heard anything about it,” Zaw Min Tun told journalists.

News of her transfer to house arrest was reported last week but not officially confirmed.

The clemency was announced a day after Myanmar’s military extended the state of emergency it imposed when it seized power from Suu Kyi’s elected government 2 1/2 years ago, forcing a further delay in elections it promised when it took over.

Several of Suu Kyi’s cases are awaiting final appeals.

Min Aung Hlaing pardoned a total of 7,749 prisoners and commuted the death sentences of others to commemorate the day the Buddha gave his first sermon, the MRTV report said.

The army leader also granted amnesty to 125 foreign prisoners and 22 members of ethnic armed groups, it added. The announcement said he dropped cases against 72 people connected to ethnic armed groups.

It wasn’t immediately clear if any of the released prisoners included the thousands of political detainees locked up for opposing military rule.

The justice ministry of the shadow National Unity Government, which views itself as the country’s legitimate administrative body, called on the country’s military rulers to immediately release all detained political prisoners, including Suu Kyi, saying they were unjustly arrested and sentenced.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners – a rights monitoring organization – 24,123 people have been arrested in Myanmar since the army takeover. At least 3,857 civilians have been killed by security forces in the same period, the group says.