MYANMAR FREES 2,000 PROTESTERS BUT ARRESTS CONTINUE

Myanmar freed more than 2,000 detainees late last week, among them journalists and others who the ruling military said had been held on incitement charges for taking part in protests, local media reported.

The release was described by some activists as a ploy by the ruling military to divert attention from an ongoing security crackdown, Reuters said. The army has been under pressure from Western countries and Myanmar's neighbors to release thousands of people detained during protests since it ousted the elected government of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1.

Many of the military's opponents have been held, some convicted, under a law that criminalizes comments that could cause fear or spread false news and is punishable by up to three years in jail. Suu Kyi is on trial for a similar offense, among others, and remains in detention.

The news portal Myanmar Now said its reporter Kay Zon Nway was freed after 124 days charged with incitement.

"Like many other political detainees, she was unfairly arrested. She has suffered a lot in prison. But today, I'm glad to see her again in great spirits," Swe Win, the portal’s editor-in-chief said in a text message. The Irrawaddy said six journalists were freed altogether. State-run MRTV made no mention of the release in its nightly newscast.

Western countries have demanded political prisoners be freed and condemned the military takeover. Myanmar's neighbors in April sought a commitment from its military rulers to initiate dialogue, end the violence and release detainees. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a non-profit based in Thailand, said the mass release was engineered to give the impression the military's sweeping crackdown had eased.

Salai Za Uk Ling of the Chin Human Rights Organization, a group from Chin state, a center of opposition to the takeover by the military, said the release was "quite meaningless" and intended to appease the international community. He said people were still being arrested daily in Chin state and elsewhere in Myanmar.

"We will face this same problem until they stop the unlawful arrests," he added. "People will not feel safe in their homes." It concluded: "Today's events intend to make it seem like there has been a relaxation in the junta's oppression. This is not the case." A total of 5,200 people are still imprisoned and the junta’s troops have killed 883 protesters since Feb. 1.

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