Myanmar junta pardons ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on some charges

Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Myanmar's ruling military junta on Tuesday pardoned ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi of five charges, leaving her imprisoned but reducing her sentence as part of a nationwide clemency tied to a Buddhist holiday.

Suu Kyi, who was deposed in a February 2021 military coup, had counts related to incitement, violation of COVID-19 restrictions and possession of unlicensed communications equipment dropped, the junta announced.

The 78-year-old Nobel Peace Prize-winning democracy activist has been convicted of 19 charges with a total sentence of 33 years, in a series of closed-door trials that supporters, rights groups and Western governments have condemned as a politically motivated sham.

Tuesday's amnesty will reduce her prison time by six years, independent news outlet Myanmar Now reported.

Former President Win Myint was also pardoned on two out of his eight convictions, the military said.

The announcements came as part of an amnesty of more than 7,000 prisoners to mark Buddhist Lent. The military government typically grants mass pardons around major religious festivals and national holidays.

Images published by the local Eleven Media Group Tuesday showed crowds waiting outside of Yangon's Insein Prison, hoping family members or loved ones would be released.

More than 24,000 protesters and activists have been arrested and nearly 20,000 remain in prison since the military seized power, according to Thailand-based watchdog Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

The acting president of Myanmar's civilian government in exile, Duwa Lashi La, called for Suu Kyi and all those being held by the junta to be freed.

"Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, U Win Myint, and all political prisoners must be released unconditionally and immediately," he wrote on Twitter. "[The junta] must be accountable for their well-being."

Suu Kyi has only been seen once in photos released by state media since she was detained after the February 2021 coup, and all trial proceedings have been conducted behind closed doors. Several of her cases are still awaiting appeal.

According to media outlets including the BBC, Suu Kyi was moved from jail to house arrest last week.

The clemency announcement comes one day after the military government extended the state of emergency it imposed after seizing power for another six months, further delaying long-promised elections.

Washington said that it was "deeply concerned" by the extension.

"Since overthrowing a democratically elected government two and a half years ago, the military regime has carried out hundreds of airstrikes, burned down tens of thousands of homes and displaced more than 1.6 million people," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.