Myanmar Junta Frees Former President Win Myint in New Year Amnesty, Suu Kyi Still Detained

Myanmar’s military government has released former President Win Myint as part of a sweeping New Year amnesty covering more than 4,500 prisoners, according to state media.

The pardon, ordered by newly inaugurated President Min Aung Hlaing, coincides with the country’s traditional New Year celebrations. However, uncertainty remains over how many political detainees were included, and there was no immediate indication that former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi would be freed.

Win Myint, a close ally of Suu Kyi, served as president from 2018 until the military coup on February 1, 2021, when both leaders were detained. He was later sentenced to a combined 12 years in prison, reduced to eight years in 2023. State broadcaster MRTV confirmed his release from a prison in Taungoo, in the Bago region.

Scenes of emotional reunions unfolded outside Yangon’s Insein Prison, where families gathered to welcome freed inmates. Among those released was filmmaker Shin Daewe, previously serving a life sentence under counterterrorism laws.

The amnesty comes just a week after Min Aung Hlaing assumed the presidency following widely criticized elections that opponents say were designed to entrench military control.

State media reported that, alongside 4,335 domestic prisoners, nearly 180 foreign nationals would also be released and deported. Authorities said those freed would face reinstatement of their original sentences if they reoffend. Additional measures included commuting death sentences to life terms and reducing lengthy prison sentences.

While Suu Kyi was not among those released, a senior military official indicated she could be moved to house arrest. Currently serving a 27-year sentence on multiple charges, any reduction under the amnesty would still leave her with more than two decades in detention.

Mass prisoner releases are common during major holidays in Myanmar, but rights groups remain critical. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, more than 22,000 political detainees remain imprisoned following the 2021 coup, with thousands killed in the ongoing conflict.

Advocacy group Burma Campaign UK dismissed the move as symbolic, arguing that staggered releases are aimed at improving the regime’s international image rather than signaling genuine reform.