Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi Receives Partial Pardon Amidst Ongoing Detention

Aung San Suu Kyi, the former head of Myanmar, has received a partial pardon on five of the 19 crimes she was found guilty of, shortening her sentence by six years. Former president Win Myint’s sentence was reduced by four years thanks to a pardon from the State Administration Council, which is run by the military junta. The amnesty for more than 7,000 convicts during Buddhist Lent included pardons.

Since the military takeover in early 2021, Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar’s independence hero, has been detained. She continues to be under house imprisonment in the country’s capital, Naypyitaw, despite the pardons. The 78-year-old leader was convicted of 33 years of allegations against him, including possessing unauthorised walkie-talkies, corruption, and violating COVID-19 limitations.

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The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, who fought for democracy and won the elections in 2015 and 2020, has served as a symbol of opposition to decades of military rule in Myanmar. In response to charges of election fraud, the military took control in 2021, sparking massive unrest and the displacement of over a million people.

While many nations, particularly in the West, have called for Aung San Suu Kyi and other prisoners to be released immediately, some see the recent pardons as purely symbolic gestures without fundamental change. Her release from custody is still up in the air since she still has to deal with 14 other instances.