Myanmar’s ruling military announced in state media that 5,774 prisoners at the sprawling Insein prison were granted amnesty on National Day on Thursday, including foreign prisoners.
– The pardon is seen as an attempt by the military to soften the international sanctions against the country, says SVT’s correspondent Claes JB Löfgren.
Among the foreign prisoners released were Vickey Bowman, former ambassador to Great Britain, Australian economist Sean Turnell and Japanese documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota. There are still over 13,000 political prisoners in the country’s prisons.
Hear SVT’s correspondent Claes JB Löfgren tell more in the clip above.