Hundreds of political prisoners freed in Myanmar

Yangon [Myanmar], October 19 (ANI): Hundreds of Myanmar political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi’s party spokesman have been freed from Insein prison, Al Jazeera reported citing local media.
This comes after state television announced an amnesty in conjunction with the Thadingyut festival for more than 5,600 people on Monday night.
The announcement came shortly after a televised address by Min Aung Hlaing, the army chief who seized power in a coup in February plunging the country into political turmoil.
The amnesty followed an announcement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that Min Aung Hlaing would not be invited to their summit later this month because the military had made “insufficient progress” in complying with a five-point consensus that was agreed jointly in April.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a rights group that has been tracking the military’s response to the protests that broke out as a result of the coup, says more than 9,000 people have been jailed and more than 1,000 killed. (ANI)