Myanmar's military government has announced the release of 6,186 prisoners, including 52 foreigners, as part of an amnesty to mark the country's Independence Day on January 4, state media reported.
The move comes a week after the first phase of a controversial multi-stage general election began on December 28, 2025 — the nation's first polls since the 2021 coup.

State-run MRTV described the amnesty as a "humanitarian gesture" aimed at promoting public peace of mind. The junta also ordered a one-sixth reduction in sentences for prisoners nationwide, excluding those convicted of serious offenses such as murder, rape, terrorism, corruption, or drug- and arms-related crimes.

It remains unclear if any political prisoners will be among those freed. Human rights groups estimate that more than 30,000 people have been detained on political charges since the military seized power in 2021.

The country has been plunged into chaos since the coup, which ousted the elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. She remains imprisoned, serving a 27-year sentence, while her National League for Democracy party was dissolved.

Pro-democracy protests were met with violent suppression, igniting an armed rebellion involving resistance groups and ethnic armies. The conflict has displaced an estimated 3.6 million people.

The ongoing election has been widely condemned as a sham by opposition groups, the United Nations, and Western governments, citing the exclusion of anti-junta parties and laws criminalizing criticism of the vote.