Pardon of 'Seven Thousand Prisoners' in Myanmar; Suu Kyi Remains Under House Arrest

The military government ruling Myanmar on Tuesday, August 1, pardoned Aung San Suu Kyi, the former leader of the country, for five of the 19 charges for which she was sentenced to prison; however, according to state media and informed sources, her house arrest will continue. Zaw Min Tun, the spokesperson for the Myanmar military government, stated that the pardon means that six years of Ms. Suu Kyi's 33-year prison sentence have been commuted: 'This is part of a nationwide amnesty under which more than seven thousand prisoners have been released across the country.' Myanmar has been embroiled in bloody unrest since late 2020 when the military overthrew Ms. Suu Kyi's civilian government and began suppressing opponents of the military regime, leading to the imprisonment or death of thousands. On Monday, the military postponed the election it had promised to hold by August of this year and extended the state of emergency for another six months, which critics say prolongs the crisis. According to Reuters, 78-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who was detained during the coup in 2020, was transferred from prison to house arrest in Naypyidaw, the capital of the country, last week. She denies all the charges against her, ranging from incitement and electoral fraud to corruption, and has requested an appeal of her sentence. An informed source, speaking anonymously, stated that Ms. Suu Kyi will not be released from house arrest. According to this source, the convictions from which she was pardoned were minor offenses, including violations of disaster management laws related to COVID-19 during her election campaign. Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of General Aung San, a hero of Myanmar's independence, was first placed under house arrest in 1989 after widespread protests against decades of military rule. Two years later, in 1991, she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her campaign for democracy and was finally released from house arrest in 2010. Ms. Suu Kyi lost in the 2015 elections held as part of a military reform process and her party won the subsequent elections in November 2020. However, after the voting, the military claimed electoral fraud and stated in early 2021 that it had to take power to ensure that complaints were addressed. Suu Kyi's party denied the allegations of electoral fraud. Many governments, especially in the West, have called for the unconditional release of Suu Kyi and thousands of other political prisoners. Last month, the Thai foreign minister stated that he had privately met with Suu Kyi. He is the first foreign official to be allowed to see her since her detention. Don Pramudwinai said, 'Ms. Suu Kyi is in good health and supports dialogue to help resolve the crisis in her country.' A diplomatic source described the pardon on Tuesday as 'window dressing for dictatorship,' stating, 'This is just a message to the international community; without taking any fundamental action.' The spokesperson for the 'National Unity Government' in exile, formed by supporters of Suu Kyi and other opponents of the military, said that the pardon of Suu Kyi and former President Win Myint showed that the military is under pressure because not only Western countries but also neighbors in Southeast Asia are calling for a resolution to the Myanmar crisis: 'This is just a political trick... aimed at reducing pressure.' He stated that they must be released unconditionally, as they have been arbitrarily detained. All political prisoners must be released. Lightning protests are a new method of demonstrating against the coup in Myanmar. Myanmar or Burma? A country with two names that is still debated. Blinken called on China and ASEAN to pressure Myanmar's rulers to 'restore democracy.' The United States sanctioned several Myanmar government officials for 'strengthening military rule' and 'undermining democratic institutions.' Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to four years in prison; the United States called this sentence 'unjust' and an affront to democracy. Martin Griffiths condemned the killing of dozens of civilians in Myanmar in a statement. Aung San Suu Kyi's party won the elections in Myanmar. The military threatens journalists and media freedom in Myanmar. Two more protesters were killed in Myanmar protests; the death of a senior member of Aung San Suu Kyi's party was also confirmed. The people of Myanmar took to the streets in opposition to the military coup and in support of Aung San Suu Kyi. Nobel Peace Prize winners from the beginning to today.