No presidential pardon on Independence Day
Yangon - The dream of prisoners’ family members was shattered: President Thein Sein did not grant amnesty on the Independence Day as he had done in the past few years.
During the term of the current government, the president has frequently granted amnesties to mark the day which falls on January 4.
The mother of Chaw Sandi Tun, the activist who was sentenced to six months in prison under Section 66 of the Telecommunications Law, said: “Since this morning, I waited for my daughter. I felt upset when I realised the government would grant no amnesty after officials from the prison told me that they did not receive any order. The government usually grants amnesties on days like these. The government under President Thein Sein should say goodbye with a positive gesture as the end of its term approaches. But this did not happen.”
The current government has released many prisoners convicted of theft, robbery and murder. Some of them went on to commit more crimes soon after being released. People strongly criticised the release of such criminals and the simultaneous detainment and sentencing of students, farmers and labour activists for political reasons.
Dr Nay Win, father of detained student leader Phyo Phyo Aung, said: “The arrest of political prisoners and students is unjust. The government should cease such notorious actions by granting amnesty to them on the days like Independence Day. It is most likely that President Thein Sein will not release political prisoners until the end of his tenure.”
Than Than Maw, wife of arrested activist Htin Kyaw, said: “There are widespread rumours that the government will release political prisoners. Some family members of prisoners were waiting for them in the front of prisons. But we don’t expect too much. So I did not wait for my husband. It seems that the government has forgotten us.”
Myanmar courts arrested and sentenced more activists in 2015 than in the previous year. In addition to political activists, authorities arrested and sentenced farmers and labour activists under sections 18, 19 and 505(b).
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), 127 political prisoners were still behind the bars, and 477 activists were on trial as of the end of November 2015.
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