BANGKOK – Families erupted with joy as they reunited with their loved ones released from Myanmar’s Insein Prison on Thursday. This release was part of a sweeping amnesty declared by the country’s military leaders, ahead of the upcoming elections next month.

By late morning, at least eight buses filled with freed prisoners arrived at the gates of the Yangon facility. There, eager relatives and friends had been waiting patiently since the early hours to welcome them back.

The military government announced it had pardoned over 3,000 individuals who had been jailed for opposing its rule, and had dropped charges against an additional 5,500 people, according to state broadcaster MRTV on Wednesday. The gesture was aimed at enabling these individuals to take part in the elections scheduled for December 28.

An official from Insein Prison, requesting anonymity due to restrictions on speaking publicly, confirmed that the release process would commence on Thursday. However, details on the number or identities of those freed were not disclosed. Historically, such amnesties have unfolded over several days.

Despite the significant release, there was no indication that Aung San Suu Kyi, the former leader who was deposed in the 2021 military coup and has since been largely cut off from the outside world, would be among those released.

Among those freed were Kyi Toe, a member of NLD’s central information committee, and freelance journalist Zaw Lin Htut, also known as Phoe Thar. Both were arrested in 2021.

“I am determined to work with Aunty until I am 90 years old,” Kyi Toe told journalists as he arrived outside the prison gate. Aunty is a common expression of respect for Suu Kyi among senior NLD members.

He added that other senior NLD members still remain in prison.

Critics have asserted Myanmar’s election will be neither free nor fair because there is no free media and most of the leaders of the dissolved NLD have been arrested.

MRTV said the National Defense and Security council, a constitutional administrative government body controlled by the military, granted amnesties covering 3,085 prisoners convicted under the part of the penal code known as the incitement law, which makes it a crime to spread comments that create public unrest or fear, or spread false news. It has been widely used to arrest critics of the government or military and is punishable by up to three years in prison.

Conditional release was granted to 724 prisoners, who would have to serve the rest of their old sentence if they commit a new offense, and 5,580 people who are either being prosecuted or are in hiding, will receive amnesty and have their incitement cases closed.

Some 22,708 political detainees, including Suu Kyi, were in detention as of Wednesday, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent organization that keeps detailed tallies of arrests.

The 80-year-old Suu Kyi is serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted in what supporters have called politically tinged prosecutions.

The army takeover in 2021 was met with massive nonviolent resistance, which has since become a widespread armed struggle.