Myanmar will free more than 5,000 anti-coup protesters days after the country's junta chief was excluded from a key summit of regional...
Myanmar will free more than 5,000 anti-coup protesters days after the country's junta chief was excluded from a key summit of regional leaders, which will also be attended by US President Joe Biden.
Junta head Min Aung Hlaing announced the release of 5,636 prisoners after foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) refused to invite him to the October 26-28 summit.
A 'non-political representative' from Myanmar was asked to attend the summit instead of Min Aung Hlaing because of 'insufficient progress' in a peace roadmap following the coup in February.
There has been chaos in Myanmar since the coup, with more than 1,100 civilians killed in a bloody crackdown on dissent and more than 8,000 arrested, according to a local monitoring group.
More than 7,300 are currently behind bars, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Min Aung Hlaing said the release was to mark the Thadingyut festival later in October.
There has been chaos in Myanmar since the coup, with more than 1,100 civilians killed in a bloody crackdown on dissent and more than 8,000 arrested
More than 7,300 are currently behind bars, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (pictured, Insein Prison in Yangon)
Junta head Min Aung Hlaing announced the release of 5,636 prisoners after foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) refused to invite him to the October 26-28 summit
Min Aung Hlaing gave no details on who would be included in the list and prison authorities did not respond to AFP requests for comment.
Myanmar authorities released more than 2,000 anti-coup protesters from prisons across the country in June, including journalists critical of the military government.
Those still in custody include the American journalist Danny Fenster, who has been held since being arrested on May 24.
More than 1,300 of those due to be released would be freed on the condition they sign agreements promising not to re-offend, Min Aung Hlaing said.
Such agreements were 'basically a form of parole that entails constant menacing surveillance', David Mathieson, an analyst formerly based in Myanmar, told AFP.
'It doesn't absolve the SAC (State Administration Council, as the junta dubs itself) of nine months of extreme violence.'
Myanmar will free more than 5,000 anti-coup protesters days after the country's junta chief was excluded from a key summit of regional leaders
Min Aung Hlaing gave no details on who would be included in the list and prison authorities did not respond to AFP requests for comment
The release comes on the heels of ASEAN's decision to exclude miltiary chief Min Aung Hlaing from an upcoming summit of the 10-country bloc over his administration's commitment to defusing the bloody crisis.
The bloc, widely criticised as a toothless organisation, took a strong stand after the junta rebuffed requests for a special envoy to meet 'all stakeholders' in Myanmar - a phrase seen to include ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The ASEAN statement, issued by Brunei which is hosting the summit, noted 'insufficient progress' in the implementation of a five-point plan agreed by the bloc's leaders in April to end the post-coup turmoil.
It added the situation in Myanmar 'was having an impact on regional security as well as the unity, credibility and centrality of ASEAN.'
The junta slammed the exclusion, saying it was 'extremely disappointed and strongly objected' to the decision.
In a statement the military accused ASEAN of breaching its policy of non-interference in the domestic affairs of member states.
'The discussions and decision on Myanmar's representation issue was done without consensus and was against the objectives of ASEAN,' the foreign ministry said.
Protesters carried signs that read 'Coups have no place in our modern world' as they marched in Mandalay on March 14
Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar wanted ASEAN's special envoy, Erywan Yusof, (pictured) to visit the country as agreed, but some of his demands were non-negotiable
Min Aung Hlaing on Monday blamed his opponents for the prolonged unrest and insisted the ruling military was committed to peace and democracy.
In his first comments since Myanmar's neighbours decided to exclude him from an upcoming ASEAN summit, he called on the organisation to consider the provocations and violence being carried out by its opponents.
He made no mention of the ASEAN decision, but suggested the outlawed National Unity Government (NUG) and armed ethnic groups were trying to sabotage the ASEAN-led peace process.
'More violence happened due to provocations of terrorist groups,' Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech on television, where he appeared in civilian attire.
'No one cares about their violence, and is only demanding we solve the issue. ASEAN should work on that.'
Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar wanted ASEAN's special envoy, Erywan Yusof, to visit the country as agreed, but some of his demands were non-negotiable. He did not elaborate.
The NUG, a broad alliance of anti-coup groups that includes members of Suu Kyi's ousted ruling party, has backed the training and formation of militias called 'People's Defence Forces' behind attacks on security forces in several regions of the country.
The NUG recently declared a nationwide rebellion against military rule.
The shadow government on Monday welcomed ASEAN's exclusion of the junta leader, but said the NUG should be the legitimate representative.
'ASEAN excluding Min Aung Hlaing is an important step, but we request that they recognise us as the proper representative,' said its spokesman Dr. Sasa.
However, he said the NUG would accept inviting a truly neutral alternative Myanmar representative.
Min Aung Hlaing's administration has justified its power grab citing alleged vote rigging in last year's elections, which Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won convincingly
Myanmar will free more than 5,000 anti-coup protesters days after the country's junta chief was excluded from a key summit of regional leaders - which will also be attended by US President Joe Biden
Myanmar, mostly ruled by the military since a 1962 coup, has been a thorn in ASEAN's side since it joined in 1997.
Min Aung Hlaing's administration has justified its power grab citing alleged vote rigging in last year's elections, which Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won convincingly.
The coup snuffed out Myanmar's short-lived dalliance with democracy and the 76-year-old Suu Kyi now faces a raft of charges in a junta court that could see her jailed for decades.
Last week, her chief lawyer said he had been banned by the junta from speaking to journalists, diplomats or international organisations.
The other lawyers on her legal team also faced a similar ban - effectively muzzling the key sources of information on court proceedings, from which journalists are barred.
Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, who has spent much of her life resisting Myanmar's generals, is scheduled to testify in court for the first time later this month.
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