NAYPYITAW, 20 October 2021, (TON): Prison authorities in Mandalay Region’s Meiktila Township immediately detained 11 National League for Democracy (NLD) members, including an elected lawmaker, who were released as part of a nationwide amnesty.

Relatives of the 11 prisoners, who were among 38 set to be freed from Meiktila Prison on Monday, said they were able to see them only briefly before they were taken back into custody.

Ni Ni, the wife of NLD MP Lwin Maung Maung, said “her husband was among those who could be seen from the prison gate waiting to be released when he was suddenly taken back inside the prison compound.”

She said, speaking to media “we could see Ko Lwin Maung Maung and the others as those scheduled to be released were standing in line.” 

She added that then they went back inside and were no longer included among those who were released. We heard that they were handcuffed inside the compound and re-arrested.”

Myanmar’s junta announced on Monday that it was planning to free 1,316 convicted detainees and drop charges against an another 4,320 individuals, including some who were still at large, on “humanitarian grounds.”