Myanmar’s military junta yesterday announced that it had granted an amnesty to more than 7,000 prisoners convicted of financing or sheltering “terrorists,” its designation for the various groups opposing its rule, reports the Diplomat.
Burma Campaign U.K. said that it was important for the outside world to recognize that the releases were “not a sign of change or reform.” Mark Farmaner, BCUK’s director, said “The Burmese military, fighting for their survival, are cynically using political prisoners as a propaganda tool; this is not a sign of reform. The Burmese military should not be praised for releasing people who should never have been detained in the first place.”