Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1254 EAT on Thursday 30 April 2026

Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing has ordered a one-sixth reduction in prison sentences for all inmates, a sweeping amnesty that will also slightly shorten the jail term of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to a member of her legal team.

The move, announced on Thursday, coincides with a national public holiday, the presidential office said in a statement. Such mass pardons are a common feature of Myanmar’s calendar, typically granted during major national occasions such as Independence Day in January and the traditional New Year celebrations in April.

Min Aung Hlaing, who previously served as Myanmar’s army chief before assuming the presidency following a tightly controlled election, had already approved a similar sentence reduction earlier this month as part of an amnesty that freed 4,335 prisoners.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained since 2021, when the military seized power and ousted her democratically elected government. She was initially sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison, later reduced to 27, on charges her allies say are politically motivated.

A member of her legal team, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the latest reduction means the 80-year-old is now expected to serve about 18 years.
Despite her continued popularity in Myanmar, Suu Kyi has been held largely incommunicado, with her family raising concerns about her deteriorating health.

Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 but did not collect it in person, fearing she would be barred from re-entering Myanmar, where she had become a powerful symbol of non-violent resistance.

Meanwhile, Myanmar’s main pro-military party claimed a sweeping victory in a three-phase general election held in January, conducted against the backdrop of an ongoing civil conflict and widespread repression.

More than four years after Myanmar’s military coup, the pro-junta Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has claimed an overwhelming majority in both legislative chambers following January’s general election.

The vote took place after the dissolution of National League for Democracy, led by detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, along with dozens of other parties. Several opposition groups also boycotted the الانتخابات, prompting criticism from observers who say the process was engineered to legitimise continued military rule.

In his inauguration speech earlier this month, military leader Min Aung Hlaing said the country had “returned to the path of democracy” and was moving towards a better future, while acknowledging that significant challenges remain.

However, the United Nations human rights office said large segments of the population were excluded from voting, including minorities such as the predominantly Muslim Rohingya, many of whom have been denied citizenship or displaced abroad.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, more than 30,000 people have been jailed on political charges since the 2021 coup.

-Aljazeera.

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