Photo – AFP
This Stakeholder Tracker No. 2 (2026 Series) was published on March 13, 2026, as an English translation of the original Burmese version released on March 17, 2026.
▪️Period
February 1, 2021, to March 2, 2026
▪️Stakeholders
Individuals received amnesty in political cases; the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC)
▪️Issues/activity
On March 2, 2026, the SSPC granted amnesty to 22,649 individuals facing charges, including those already imprisoned. Of these, 19,824 were people arrested, prosecuted, or tried in absentia under Section 50(j) and Section 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law.
▪️Status/trends
Over the past five years, the SSPC has issued 20 amnesties, releasing people or dropping charges against more than 140,000 individuals. Yet only 24.9 percent of those covered were linked to political cases [see ISP Data Matters (ISP-DM2026-023)]. Notably, mass case closures for those on trial or tried in absentia have occurred twice within four months. Ahead of the election, charges were dropped for 5,580 individuals (including those tried in absentia) charged under Section 505A of the Penal Code. After the election, cases were closed for 12,487 individuals (including those tried in absentia) charged under Sections 50(j) and 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law. Of the over 35,000 individuals granted amnesty in political cases over the past five years, nearly 22,400 (63.5 percent) were released through case closures [see ISP Data Matters (ISP-DM2026-024)].
▪️Implications
The mass case closures before and after the election carry implications beyond the humanitarian. It also functions as an incentive for people who fled abroad—due to charges or fears linked to post-2021 politics—to return. This comes amid tighter asylum pathways overseas and growing difficulties in securing long-term residence abroad, whether legally or without documentation. Still, with many political prisoners—including Aung San Suu Kyi—remaining detained, genuine political reform and a sustainable political settlement will remain difficult to achieve.
