Over 13,200 inmates released in Myanmar under pardon order

A total of 13,274 inmates serving various prison terms have been released from prisons across the country since President U Thein Sein issued a pardon order last Thursday to mark the country's Independence Day on Jan. 4. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs Monday, the freed inmates, whose sentences were respectively cut in accordance with the order, include 2,150 women. Under the pardon order, inmates who were sentenced to death are commuted to life imprisonments while those serving life imprisonment and those with more than 40 years to serve are to serve 40 years in prison. Other inmates with jail terms of 40 years and under are cut one- fourth. Myanmar had also claimed on Dec. 30 the release of all remaining political prisoners held across the nation. Scrutinized by the government, a total of 354 political prisoners were freed in 2013.