Myanmar junta frees hundreds held for anti-coup protests
Source: AP
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Hundreds of people imprisoned for protesting last month’s coup in Myanmar were released Wednesday in the first apparent gesture by the military to try to placate the protest movement.
Witnesses outside Insein Prison in Yangon saw busloads of mostly young people, looking happy with some flashing the three-finger gesture of defiance adopted by protesters. State-run TV said a total of 628 were freed.
The prisoners appear to be the hundreds of students detained in early March while demonstrating against the Feb. 1 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
One lawyer, speaking on condition of anonymity because she doesn’t want attention from the authorities, said all those released were arrested on March 3. She said only 55 people detained in connection with the protests remained in the prison, and it is likely they will all face charges under Section 505(A) of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.
Arrested protesters wave to people while onboard a bus that is getting out of Insein prison and will transport them to an undisclosed location Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/world-news-aung-san-suu-kyi-yangon-myanmar-821a9905a595867da41c83978f1c5001
= new reply since forum marked as read
