Myanmar's military leaders have released Sean Turnell, an Australian economist and former adviser to democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, and almost 6,000 others from prison under an amnesty, state media reported on Thursday.
Former British envoy Vicky Bowman and her husband were among those released, along with U.S. citizen Kyaw Htay Oo and Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota.
Bowman, who served as ambassador from 2002 to 2006, was detained with her husband in August for failing to declare she was living at an address different from the one listed on her foreigner's registration certificate.
They were later jailed for one year. Her husband, prominent artist Htein Lin.
Kubota had been charged with sedition and violating a communications law.
Myanmar has been in the political turmoil since the military staged coup last year by arresting civilian leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi in the early morning raids on Feb. 1, 2021.
The coup sparked widespread protests that were often violently shut down, and helped fuel armed resistance among some of the Southeast Asian nation's many ethnic groups.
In all, 5,774 male and 676 female prisoners were granted amnesty to mark Myanmar's national day and also on "humanitarian grounds," state media said.
Also included were 11 celebrities and Kyaw Tint Swe, a former minister and a close aide to Suu Kyi.
Turnell had been charged with violating a state secrets law.
A junta spokesperson did not answer Reuters' phone calls seeking comment.
The Australian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Japanese foreign ministry said it was informed about Kubota's release in the afternoon.
(REUTERS, AFP)
The Southeast Asian country has been in turmoil since the military's coup last year and a bloody crackdown on dissent that has seen thousands jailed.
Former British envoy Vicky Bowman, Australian economics adviser Sean Turnell and Japanese journalist Toru Kubota "will be released to mark National Day", a senior officer told AFP.
Bowman, who served as ambassador from 2002 to 2006, was detained with her husband in August for failing to declare she was living at an address different from the one listed on her foreigner's registration certificate.
They were later jailed for one year. Her husband, prominent artist Htein Lin, will also be released, the official said.
Sean Turnell was working as an adviser to Myanmar's civilian leader Suu Kyi when he was detained shortly after the coup in February last year.
In September, he and Suu Kyi were convicted by a closed junta court of breaching the official secrets act and jailed for three years each.
Kubota, 26, was detained in July near an anti-government rally in Yangon along with two Myanmar citizens and jailed for 10 years.
A source at Japan's embassy in Myanmar told AFP they had "been informed that Mr. Kubota will be released today" by junta authorities.
Kubota would leave for Japan "today", they added.
Kubota is the fifth foreign journalist to be detained in Myanmar, after US citizens Nathan Maung and Danny Fenster, Robert Bociaga of Poland and Yuki Kitazumi of Japan -- all of whom were later freed and deported.
As of March this year, 48 journalists remain in custody across the country, according to the monitoring group Reporting ASEAN.
Families gathered outside Insein prison in Yangon ahead of the expected announcement, an AFP reporter said.
(AFP)
