Human Rights Commission calls for political prisoner amnesty

29 October 2015
Human Rights Commission calls for political prisoner amnesty
A woman and her son looks from the main gate of the Insein Prison as she awaits her relative release in Yangon. Photo: Nyein Chan Naing/EPA

Myanmar’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on President Thein Sein to free all political prisoners and students jailed earlier this year for a peaceful demonstration ahead of general elections, according to a RFA report on 28 October.
The independent human rights group composed of 15 bureaucrats and academics wants the government to grant amnesty to political prisoners who have been sentenced, so they can vote in the elections.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners - Burma (AAPP-B) Myanmar has nearly 100 political prisoners with 471 more awaiting trial.
The NHRC’s request included a call for the release of the roughly 60 students being detained at Tharrawaddy prison, Bago region, on charges of unlawful assembly, rioting and causing injury to government workers during a peaceful protest on education policy that turned violent earlier this year.