Myanmar started releasing more than 9,500 prisoners on Wednesday as part of its annual amnesty marking the country’s traditional new year, but Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo will not be included, said an NGO advocating for political prisoners.
President Win Myint announced in a statement Wednesday thepardons were granted on humanitarian grounds during the Buddhist new yearfestival known as Thingyan.
A total of 16 foreign prisoners are expected to be pardonedand deported, while 9,535 local prisoners are expected to be freed, Win Myintsaid.
But an NGO that helps political prisoners said the releasewill not include Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.
The duo were sentenced to seven years under the OfficialSecrets Act after reporting on the military’s atrocities committed against theRohingya Muslim minority in strive-torn Rakhine state — work which theyreceived a Pulitzer prize for on Monday.
“They will not be included. We got this informationfrom an Insein prison source,” said Bo Kyi, founder of the AssistanceAssociation for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
“Journalists should not be imprisoned… That directlycontradicts with democracy.” Reuters also reported that Wa Lone and KyawSoe Oo were not among those being pardoned.
According to AAPP, there are currently 46 politicalprisoners in Myanmar’s jails and around 300 others are facing trials linked topolitical activities.
By 6 pm (1130 GMT), Bo Kyi told AFP he had received word ofonly two political prisoners released, and the amnesty process might continuethrough the next day. Myanmar has freed thousands from its jails since amilitary junta ceded power in 2011 after five decades of brutal repression.
But John Quinley of Fortify Rights said Wednesday’s amnestyshould have extended to anti-war activists Lum Zawng and Zau Jet, who werejailed last year for demonstrating against the decades-long fighting betweenthe military and ethnic Kachin insurgents.
“The amnesty could have also included the many Rohingyamen and boys who have been unjustly jailed with no fair trial in Rakhine Stateon terrorism-related offenses,” Quinley told AFP.
“Many of these men and boys are farmers and should be urgently freed.”