30 political prisoners who were being punished under Section 505-A of the prisons in Mon State have been released.
The group includes 5 male and 21 female persons who were sent to the Kyaikmaraw Central Prison. 21 female and 4 male persons were released from the Thaton Prison.
According to statements of some family members, most of those freed were people who had been moved from the Hpa-An prison.
“Most of those released from Kyaikmarraw Central Prison are those who had moved from Hpa-An Prison. There is a Section 505 person who is from Mawlamyine,” said a family member of an inmate.
He added, the situation of those sentenced under Section-505, who were transferred from Kyaikmarraw Central Prison to prisons in Bago Region, is still under investigation.
On the morning of May 3, the military council announced that 2,153 prisoners who were sentenced under Section 505-A of the Penal Code will be pardoned under Section 401, Subsection (1) of the Criminal Code.
The military council released the prisoners on the condition that if they commit the same crime again, they will be apprehended and continue to serve time of their original sentence, plus serve additional time for any additional crimes they may be charged with. Â
