Nay Pyi Taw-April 17, 2025 – The State Administration Council (SAC) has granted amnesty to 4,893 prisoners in commemoration of the Myanmar New Year, according to an official announcement made on the morning of April 17, 2025 — Myanmar New Year Day.

In addition to local inmates, 13 foreign nationals serving sentences in Myanmar were also granted pardons and subsequently deported.

A separate order issued by the SAC stated that inmates currently serving prison terms in various prisons, detention centers, and camps were granted a remission of one-sixth of their remaining sentences. The sentence reduction was authorized under Section 401, Sub-section (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

However, the amnesty explicitly excludes individuals convicted of serious offenses. Crimes not eligible for pardon include murder, rape, violations under the Explosive Substances Act, the Unlawful Associations Act, Section 19(c) of the 1878 Arms Act, the 1949 Emergency Provisions Act, the 1951 Temporary Provisions Amendment Act, the 1924 Shan State Arms Order, the 2023 Arms Law, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the Natural Disaster Management Law, the Counter-Terrorism Law, and the Anti-Corruption Law.

According to all three official orders issued by the SAC, the decision to grant amnesty was made in honor of the auspicious Myanmar New Year. The move aims to promote social harmony, foster public peace of mind, and reflect the state’s compassion and goodwill toward the people.

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