Myanmar's ruling military government will release 5,864 prisoners, including 180 foreigners, under an amnesty, state media reported on Saturday.The annual pardon will mark the country's 77th independence day.

Where is Aung San Suu Kyi?

Myanmar's ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other elderly prisoners were reportedly moved to house arrest last year as a precaution against heat exhaustion.Suu Kyi, who spent decades under house arrest during a previous military junta and has been a symbol of opposition to decades of military rule, has been in jail since the military seized power in 2021.

The Nobel laureate is serving a combined 27-year sentence after being convicted of a string of criminal charges.She has denied all of the charges levied against her and rights groups say her convictions are politically motivated.At least 28,096 people have been arrested since 2021, according to Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP) monitoring group.

Myanmar in turmoil

The Southeast Asian nation plunged into violence and chaos after the army took power from Suu Kyi’s government on February 1, 2021.Security forces brutally clamped down on protests and hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.More than 4,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed by the military in its attempt to assert control, according to Amnesty International.

The military government promised it would hold elections this year, but opposition groups have criticized the move as just a facade of political change that is meant to appease the international community but does little to shift power to civilians. (Reuters, DW sources)