YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Hundreds of people imprisoned for demonstrating against last month’s coup in Myanmar were released Wednesday, a rare conciliatory gesture by the military that appeared aimed at placating the protest movement. Also Wednesday, Thein Zaw, a journalist for The Associated Press who was arrested last month while covering an anti-coup protest, was released. The mass release came the same day that Thein Zaw was also freed. Thein Zaw told the AP that the judge in his case announced during a hearing that all charges against him were dropped because he was doing his job at the time of his arrest. Image: Arrested protesters wave to people while onboard a bus that is getting out of Insein prison and will transport them to an undisclosed location Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in Yangon, Myanmar.

Source: Egypt Independent March 24, 2021 12:45 UTC