Myanmar’s military junta has announced the release of more than 6,000 prisoners as part of a general amnesty marking the country’s Independence Day. According to a statement from the junta’s National Defense and Security Council, the acting president of the Union of the Republic of Myanmar granted pardons to 6,134 male and female inmates held in prisons, detention centers, and camps across the country.

The announcement, reported by AFP, follows a long-standing tradition in Myanmar where authorities issue general amnesties each year to commemorate Independence Day. The statement did not specify the identities or categories of those released, nor did it indicate whether any political detainees were included.

Such annual amnesties are a customary gesture by the authorities during national celebrations, reflecting a symbolic act of leniency tied to the country’s founding anniversary.