Oct 19 Reuters - Myanmar's military government has freed hundreds of political prisoners from the notorious Insein prison, including Aung San Suu Kyi party spokesperson and a local comedian Zarganar, local media reported.
Minutes after Military ruler Min Aung Hlaing's speeches on Monday, state television announced more than 5,600 people arrested or wanted over their roles in anti-coup protests would be freed in an amnesty on humanitarian grounds.
The release was described by some activists as a ploy by the ruling military to try to rebuild its international reputation after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN took the rare step of excluding the junta leader from its Summit.
On twitter, U.N. Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews welcomed the release, but said it was shocking that they were held in the first place.
The junta is releasing political prisoners in Myanmar not because of a change of heart, but because pressure, he said.
Since August, junta has released prisoners multiple times since the February coup.
ASEAN decided to invite a non-political representative to its Oct 26 - 28 summit in an unprecedented snub to the military leaders behind the coup against Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government.
They came to me today and said they will take me home, that's all, Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy NLD party told local media Democratic Voice of Burma late on Monday on his way home from prison.
Monywa Aung Shin was arrested on 1 February and had spent eight months in prison.
Photos and videos posted on social media showed detainees with reunited with weeping family members.
Other images showed a succession of buses leaving the rear entrance of the jail, with passengers waving from windows and leaning at crowds gathered outside.
Myanmar's prison department spokesman and junta spokesman were not immediately available for comment.
More political prisoners including parliamentarians and journalists were released from other towns on Monday in Mandalay, Lashio, Meiktila and Myeik.
However, 11 out of 38 people arrested from the Delegation of Central Myanmar were released again according to local media Democratic Voice of Burma.
Reuters could not independently verify this information.
Originally, Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup, which ended a decade of tentative democracy and economic reforms.
Security forces arrested more than 1,100 people according to activists and the United Nations and over 9,000 people including Suu Kyi, according to the rights group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, documents killings and arrests.