Bangkok [Thailand], August 2: The military junta in Myanmar has announced it will reduce the prison sentence of jailed former freedom icon Aung San Suu Kyi in a mass amnesty.
Former president Win Myint and Suu Kyi, 78, will receive a partial pardon, state media reported on Tuesday, which means that their prison sentences will be reduced. It was not a complete pardon, the news website Myanmar Now reported, and it was initially unclear whether the two politicians would be released.
After the coup on February 1, 2021, the military ousted and detained the democratically elected de facto head of government Suu Kyi.
Later, a junta-controlled court sentenced her to a total of more than 30 years in prison for numerous alleged crimes. Win Myint was also sentenced to many years in prison.
The Nobel laureate has been detained by the military since February 2021 following the coup that ousted her.
The coup triggered civil war in the country, and has led to the deaths of thousands of people. The military junta has also been accused of unleashing disproportionate violence against those opposing its rule.
Some countries, notably China and Thailand, have started a dialogue with the junta, but these initiatives have been criticised for excluding Suu Kyi's party, which won a huge majority in 2020 elections.
The extent of the win led the military to allege election fraud - which they then used as a justification for the coup.
Source: Qatar Tribune