Sources close to Mandalay’s Obo Prison told DVB that no political prisoners were among the 283 inmates released in an amnesty to mark Myanmar’s 78th Independence Day on Sunday.
Thaik Tun Oo, the Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM) spokesperson, told DVB that he hasn’t found any political prisoners among those released from prisons in Kachin State, Mandalay and Bago regions either, so far.
A source close to Yangon’s Insein Prison told DVB that a total of 850 prisoners there were released. The source added that the only political prisoner freed was Ye Htut, a former minister serving a 10-year sentence at Insein Prison after being convicted of criticizing the military on social media in October 2023.
Sources close to Myeik Prison in Myanmar’s southeastern Myeik Township, Tanintharyi Region, told DVB that no political prisoners were among the 38 inmates freed on Jan. 4.
A former political prisoner at Myeik Prison criticized the regime for not releasing any detained for opposing the 2021 military coup from Myeik Prison. Myeik is located 151 miles (243 km) south of the Tanintharyi Region capital Dawei.
The regime released a total of 6,186 prisoners, including 52 foreigners, from prisons across the country on Jan. 4. The regime didn’t disclose the nationalities of the foreigners who were released and subsequently deported.
DVB is awaiting confirmation if any political prisoners are among those released nationwide. Sources confirmed to DVB that State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, who have been held incommunicado since the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021, were not released in this amnesty.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s son Kim Aris worries that his mother may have died in prison given her health issues and the lack of information forthcoming from the regime in Naypyidaw, which jailed her and ousted her National League for Democracy (NLD) government during the 2021 coup.
The regime’s National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) stated that the 80-year-old jailed Nobel laureate is in “good health,” calling Kim Aris’ accusations “deliberately fabricated and spread in a timely manner to disrupt” the regime’s 2025–26 elections, which began on Dec. 28.
The regime has not shared any further details or proof of life with Aung San Suu Kyi’s family or with the people of Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi is serving a 27-year sentence, while Win Myint is serving eight, after both were convicted on several charges in regime courts.
Thaik Tun Oo told DVB that at least 137 political prisoners have died in prison due to the lack of adequate medical care since 2021 and has called on the international community to pressure the regime to release all political prisoners.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has documented that 22,682 out of the 30,216 detained for political reasons since 2021 remain in detention.
Zaw Myint Maung, the NLD Vice-Chairperson and Mandalay Region Chief Minister, died of cancer at Mandalay General Hospital one day after being granted “medical amnesty” from Obo Prison in October 2024.
Nyan Win, a member of the NLD executive committee, died of complications due to COVID-19 at Yangon General Hospital after being transferred from custody at Insein Prison in 2021.
A total of 106,810 prisoners have been released in regime amnesties since Feb. 12, 2021, not including the 6,186 reportedly released in yesterday’s amnesty. At least 8,882 of those freed were deemed political prisoners, according to DVB data.
