In a report released on Wednesday, state television reported that while the generals were accusing the military and generals of actors and other celebrities taking part in protests against the coup, Myanmar’s military authorities planned to release about 2,000 people across the country. . At least 70,000 inmates will be released from Yangon’s Insein Prison, prison chief Zhao Zhao told Reuters news agency.
The head of the prison, however, refused to give instructions on who would be released from the country’s largest prison complex, where some of the protesters were taken. Rumors that the prisoners would be released began on Saturday, when some relatives of the prisoners gathered outside the jail. Hundreds of people had already waited outside the jail on Wednesday morning in the hope that some prisoners would be released.
In April, military rulers ordered the release of more than 23,000 prisoners from prisons across the country under a general amnesty for the new year, although some of those arrested after the February 1 coup were included. The news comes a day after the country’s military government denied allegations against 24 celebrities who were asked to take part in mass protests and civil disobedience against the generals’ seizure of power. Actors, athletes, social media influencers, doctors and teachers are among the hundreds listed to oppose the military taking power from the elected government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Some of the 120 celebrities searched include singers Lin Lin and Chit Thu Yi, actors Pipo Fawye, Ayendra KIA Jin and Paya T Oo, and model May Mayat Nao. Famous actor and model Pang Takhon, who was arrested in both Myanmar and Thailand, was arrested in April after actor Paya Ti Oo and his wife Eyendra Kya Jin surrendered to police. The army-run TV channel Mayawadi said the charges against 24 people had been dropped because of “external reasons” for their involvement.
Since taking power, the military has struggled to rule in the face of daily protests and strikes that have crippled both public and private businesses. Incidents of local rebellion have also increased. The political prisoner organization, which is monitoring the situation, has issued arrest warrants for about 2,000 people since the coup. It said more than 5,000 people were currently detained.
