Myanmar: Military junta pardons over 2,000 prisoners

The military junta in Myanmar released over 2,000 prisoners on Wednesday who were jailed for dissenting on the occasion of a festival marking the birth of the Buddha.

According to a statement by the military junta, 2,153 prisoners serving sentences were pardoned “to mark Kasone Full Moon Day,” a festival marking the birth of the Buddha.

The prisoners were convicted under Section 505(a) of the penal code, which criminalizes comments that could cause fear or spread false news and is…