Authorities in Myanmar released the country’s ousted president from prison on Friday, along with some 4,000 other people, as part of an amnesty to mark the traditional New Year festival.
President Win Myint had been in jail since February 2021 when the military overthrew Myanmar’s democratically elected government in a coup, which sparked nationwide protests and subsequent armed resistance movements across the country.
Other senior officials, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, remain behind bars.
Release all detainees: Guterres
In response to the developments, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the need to continue to find a resolution to the crisis in Myanmar.
“The Secretary-General takes note of the announcement of amnesty, including the release of prisoners, reductions of sentences and commuting death penalties to life imprisonment, and the news about the release of President Win Myint,” U.N. Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a note to journalists.
“He underscores the need for meaningful efforts to ensure the swift release of all those arbitrarily detained, including State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and to create conditions conducive to a credible political process.”
The Secretary-General further encouraged continued dialogue between all relevant stakeholders and his Special Envoy, Julie Bishop, on how the U.N. alongside regional bloc, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and other partners “can help support efforts towards a peaceful solution in the interests of the people of Myanmar as called for by the Security Council and General Assembly.”
UN Human Rights Chief ‘relieved’
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights welcomed Friday’s news.
Volker Türk tweeted that he was “relieved” by the long overdue release of Myanmar’s jailed President Win Myint and other prisoners, as well as the commutation of death sentences.
“All those detained unjustly since the coup – including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi – need to be released immediately and unconditionally,” he said. “There must be an end to the unrelenting violence against all of Myanmar’s people.”
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