Myanmar’s military government has released four foreign prisoners including Australian economist Sean Turnell, former UK ambassador Vicky Bowman, and Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota. The release is part of an amnesty to mark the 102th anniversary of its National Victory Day.
(Bloomberg) — Myanmar’s military government has released four foreign prisoners including Australian economist Sean Turnell, former UK ambassador Vicky Bowman, and Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota. The release is part of an amnesty to mark the 102th anniversary of its National Victory Day.
A total of 5,774 prisoners were released and the foreign prisoners will be deported after their release, according to Major General Zaw Min Tun, lead spokesman for the ruling State Administration Council.
Turnell, who served as an adviser to former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was arrested days after the coup in February 2021. He was sentenced to three years in prison for breaking the colonial-era Official Secrets Act in a court ruling in September. He pleaded not guilty and appealed the verdict, as did his co-defendants, including Suu Kyi and former finance ministers.
The Australian government had rejected the court ruling against Turnell and called for his immediate release. Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong said in a statement he had been “unjustly detained by the Myanmar military regime” and Australian Embassy officials were denied access to the closed court.
The junta also released former British ambassador Vicky Bowman who was handed a one-year prison sentence for violating the country’s immigration rules. Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota, who was jailed for encouraging dissent against the military, violating the nation’s telecommunications and immigration laws, was also freed.
Deposed leader Suu Kyi is serving a 26-year prison term while awaiting verdicts for five more charges.
Junta troops have killed at least 2,465 civilians and arrested 16,232 others since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The group said 1,648 civilians are serving prison sentences under the junta, and it remains unclear how many of them were released in the amnesty Thursday.
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