Myanmar’s imprisoned former leader, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has been brought out of prison, along with other senior convicts, as a health precaution to protect them from extreme heat, the military administration declared Wednesday.
Win Myint, the 72-year-old former president of her ousted government, was also reportedly among the prisoners taken from prison amid the heat wave.
Suu Kyi, 78, has been serving a 27-year prison term in the capital, Naypyitaw, after being convicted on several charges that her supporters and rights groups say were politically motivated.
According to Myanmar’s meteorological department, Naypyitaw saw temperatures of 39 C (102.2 F) on Tuesday afternoon.
Suu Kyi has largely been hidden from view since the military detained her as they seized power in a 2021 coup, and she has reportedly suffered health problems.
The temperature in capital Naypyidaw, where Suu Kyi is believed to be in custody in a specially constructed compound, is expected to hit 41 C (105.8 F) on Wednesday, with even hotter weather forecast for the coming week.
The junta also announced on Wednesday that 3,300 prisoners would be freed as part of a regular amnesty to mark the country’s new year festival.
Wednesday’s prisoner amnesty includes 13 Indonesians and 15 Sri Lankans who will be deported, the junta said.
The remaining prisoners will have their sentences cut by one-sixth, the junta said in a statement, except for those convicted of serious offences, including murder, terrorism and drugs charges.
Myanmar’s military ousted Suu Kyi’s civilian government in a lightning coup in February 2021, ending the country’s 10-year experiment with democracy after decades of army rule.
The coup sparked a massive outpouring of public dissent, which the military tried to crush with force, resulting in a spiraling conflict that has killed over 4,800 civilians.
The army is now struggling to maintain control of the country in the face of opposition from civilian anti-junta fighters and long-standing ethnic minority armed organizations.
