Myanmar grants amnesty to 80 prisoners, to deport 34

Yangon: The Myanmar government has granted a general amnesty to 80 prisoners, including 34 foreigners, who will be freed starting on Tuesday, according to an order of President U Thein Sein.

The amnesty order is made out of consideration of ensuring stability, making eternal peace, national reconciliation of the country and enabling all to participate in political process as well as out of humanitarian ground, reported Xinhua citing a statement.

Under the amnesty order, 34 foreign prisoners will also be deported on the same day with a view to maintaining mutual friendship and ties with related countries and on social ground, it said.

The amnesty is the fifth granted to prisoners in the country since the new government assumed office on March 30 last year.

Under the last amnesty order in January this year, 651 prisoners were released. They included former prime minister and military intelligence chief U Khin Nyunt, noted student leader Min Ko Naing and Shan ethnic leader U Kun Tun Oo.

Under the previous amnesty orders since March 2011, the government had freed a total of 28,424 prisoners.