A total of 38 inmates at Hpa-An Prison in Hpa-An District, within the Karen National Union (KNU)’s Brigade 7 territory, were granted amnesty on April 6, according to a statement from the Hpa-An District Administration on April 9.

District administration officials said 35 male prisoners and 3 female prisoners were released as a goodwill gesture to facilitate family reunions. The KNU prioritized inmates who were elderly, in poor health, or had demonstrated good behavior during their incarceration.

The amnesty ceremony took place at an undisclosed location in Hpa-An District on April 6, attended by KNU officials, including KNU Hpa-An District Administration Secretary Padoh Saw Bardy Pho and Karen National Police Force (KNPF) commander Saw Maung Kyi.

Officials strictly reminded the recently released inmates not to commit any further offenses, provided them with travel and food expenses, and assisted in their return home, the Hpa-An District Administration announced.

On February 3, the Prison Department under the KNU’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Religious Affairs also granted pardons to 133 inmates serving sentences in prisons located in Brigade 3’s Doo Tha Htu District and Brigade 6’s Dooplaya District.

According to official figures released by the KNU, 171 people have received amnesty from KNU-run prisons across three districts so far this year.