Myanmar junta announces mass pardons ahead of controversial election

Myanmar’s military government says it will pardon or drop charges against 8,665 people ahead of a national election widely criticised by Western governments and human rights groups as neither credible nor inclusive, state media reported on Thursday.

According to the announcement, the move includes reducing sentences for 3,085 individuals convicted under Section 505A of the penal code — a provision frequently used since the 2021 coup to criminalise dissent, including social media posts deemed to spread 'fake news' or 'cause fear.' Charges against an additional 5,580 people who remain in hiding or on the run have also been withdrawn.
Authorities did not disclose how many political prisoners are covered in the order or when the releases would begin, leaving uncertainty over whether prominent activists, journalists, or former lawmakers will be among those freed.
Junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun, speaking a day before the amnesty was formally issued, said the decision was intended to 'ensure all eligible voters can cast their ballots freely and fairly.' He added that the military administration wants to create an environment conducive to participation in the upcoming polls, which are scheduled to take place in multiple phases through December and January.
Myanmar has been gripped by instability since the February 2021 coup that toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Her detention and the killing of thousands during the junta’s crackdown on nationwide protests fuelled an armed resistance that has since expanded across the country in partnership with long-standing ethnic insurgent groups.
Human rights monitors say the junta’s latest move does little to change the country’s repressive climate. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) estimates that more than 30,000 people have been arrested on political grounds since the coup, with many reportedly tortured, held without due process, or transferred to prisons far from their families.
The planned election is already deeply disputed. Many opposition parties — including Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) — have been dissolved, banned or have announced boycotts, while fighting between resistance forces and the military continues across large parts of the country. Critics argue that the vote is designed mainly to legitimise continued military rule rather than restore democracy.
Adding to the controversy, the Trump administration announced earlier this week that it will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Myanmar nationals living in the United States. Washington claimed that conditions in Myanmar are improving and that citizens can 'safely return,' citing the junta’s move toward elections as evidence. The decision has been condemned by rights organisations, who say sending people back would put them at risk.
In response, junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun welcomed the US announcement, saying Myanmar nationals abroad are encouraged to return and participate in the vote, even as conflict and humanitarian needs inside the country continue to escalate.