Myanmar's state media reported the military government has released 5,864 prisoners, including 180 foreign nationals, under amnesty for the country's independence day.
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00:00Cheers outside a prison in Yangon, Myanmar, as the first bus of freed prisoners leaves
00:09the front gate.
00:10This is just one of hundreds across the country, releasing thousands of people under an amnesty
00:15deal from the country's military government.
00:21Some families are reunited immediately, while others search the crowds, hoping to spot their
00:26loved ones.
00:39Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021, when the military overthrew the elected government,
00:45violently suppressed pro-democracy protests, and sparked an armed rebellion.
00:51In the years since, the UN estimates more than 5,000 civilians have been killed, over
00:56three million people displaced, and more than 27,000 people arrested.
01:02As part of Independence Day celebrations, state media has announced the release of thousands,
01:07including 180 foreign nationals.
01:23Though these large prison releases are common on holidays in Myanmar, thousands of people
01:28remain detained in the country's prisons.
01:31But friends and family members are hopeful that one of these buses will mean freedom
01:36for their loved ones.
01:37Eason Chen, Harrell Hughes, and Philip Broussard for Taiwan Plus.