Burma: extraordinary military parade and amnesty for the 75th anniversary of independence

Burmese army officers parade as military fighter jets fly overhead during a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of independence, Wednesday, January 4, 2023. AP - Aung Shine Oo

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The Burmese junta organized a military parade that looked like a show of force in the capital and a few days after the sentencing of ex-civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi to a total of 33 years in prison.

She also announced the release of more than 7,000 prisoners.

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At dawn, tanks, missile launchers and armored vehicles roamed the streets of the capital, kicking off a military parade, AFP correspondents noted.

Officials and high school students followed the soldiers, accompanied by a military band, and 750 "peace" doves were released to mark the occasion, according to state media.

Later on Wednesday, the junta announced it would release 7,012 prisoners on the anniversary, without specifying whether the amnesty would include people imprisoned as part of the crackdown on dissent.

Asked by AFP whether Aung San Suu Kyi, imprisoned and heavily sentenced after a series of closed trials, would now be placed under house arrest as part of this announcement.

Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun did not respond.

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In an address to the military, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing accused countries, without naming them, of "

 " since the February 2021 coup. He also explained that the army was currently meeting with political parties to discuss the “ 

”, without further details.

Min Aung Hlaing, head of the military council, inspects officers during a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of Independence Day.

AP - Aung Shine Oo

Elections announced for this year

The Burmese junta is preparing for new elections scheduled for later this year, and described in advance as a " 

 " by the United States.

Experts say she could abandon the first-past-the-post system by which Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won landslide majorities in 2015 and 2020.

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Ahead of the 75th anniversary of independence, the junta had already awarded hundreds of prizes and medals to its supporters including

, an extremist Buddhist monk known for his role in inciting religious hatred in the country, in especially towards the Muslim Rohingya minority.

A group of traditional Burmese artists perform at a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of Independence Day.

AP - Aung Shine Oo

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• Burma

• Aung San Suu Kyi

• Defense

• Human rights