Kalay, Sagaing Region, 18 April 2026 – SSPC (State Security and Peace Commission) authorities released 33 inmates, including 23 political prisoners, from Kalay Prison in Sagaing Region on 17 April, as part of the Myanmar New Year amnesty.
The nationwide release, however, included only 165 political prisoners out of more than 4,300 total inmates granted amnesty, sparking criticism from advocacy groups.
Of those freed in Kalay, 21 were men and two were women, one of whom had been serving a 12-year sentence, according to a former political prisoner.
The limited amnesty was issued under Section 401(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a measure that stipulates any reoffending will result in serving the remainder of the original sentence in addition to new penalties.
The ruling military council also granted sentence reductions to prisoners not receiving full amnesty, including the commutation of death sentences to life imprisonment. However, the gesture is widely seen as minimal; advocacy groups estimate that over 400 political detainees, including more than 100 women, are believed to remain in custody at Kalay Prison alone.
The amnesty comes amid escalating conflict between the ruling military council and local resistance forces across Sagaing Region and neighboring Chin State, where Kalay is located.
Recent reports from the Chinland Guardian highlight intense military operations in the region, including SSPC airstrikes in villages like Tlangzar and Pauk township, which have resulted in civilian deaths and destruction of homes.
The ongoing military escalation, coupled with severe economic hardship where checkpoint fees have doubled commodity prices for residents, underscores the volatile political landscape surrounding the limited prisoner release. – Reporting by Daniel
