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Saturday, May 04, 2024
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Aung San Suu Kyi Receives Partial Pardon and Reduced Jail Term in Myanmar
In Myanmar, former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been granted a partial pardon on five of the 19 charges she was convicted for, resulting in a reduction of six years from her 33-year jail sentence. The country's military junta announced the pardons as part of an amnesty that included over 7,000 prisoners to mark Buddhist Lent.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the 78-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been detained since the military coup in February 2021, facing various charges, including corruption, possession of illegal walkie-talkies, and violating COVID-19 restrictions. While she was moved from prison to house arrest in Naypyitaw last week, she remains in detention despite the partial pardons.
The junta also pardoned former president Win Myint, who was arrested alongside Aung San Suu Kyi after the 2021 coup. This move resulted in a reduction of four years from his jail term.
Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of Myanmar's independence hero, spent years under house arrest during the military's rule. Despite being released in 2010, she was back under detention after the recent coup.
The international community, especially Western governments, has called for her unconditional release, along with thousands of others detained during the junta's crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
However, critics see the recent pardons as a "cosmetic move" with no substantive action, leaving Aung San Suu Kyi to still face numerous charges.
The junta also pardoned former president Win Myint, who was arrested alongside Aung San Suu Kyi after the 2021 coup. This move resulted in a reduction of four years from his jail term.
Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of Myanmar's independence hero, spent years under house arrest during the military's rule. Despite being released in 2010, she was back under detention after the recent coup.
The international community, especially Western governments, has called for her unconditional release, along with thousands of others detained during the junta's crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
However, critics see the recent pardons as a "cosmetic move" with no substantive action, leaving Aung San Suu Kyi to still face numerous charges.
