Other senior officials, including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, remain behind bars.
Release all detainees: Guterres
In response to the events, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the need to continue finding a solution to the crisis in Myanmar.
“The Secretary-General takes note of the announcement of amnesty, including the release of prisoners, the reduction of sentences and the commutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment, as well as the news of the release of President Win Myint,” UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in a note to reporters.
“It underlines the need for significant efforts to ensure the rapid release of all those arbitrarily detained, including State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and to create conducive conditions for a credible political process.”
The Secretary-General further encouraged continued dialogue between all relevant stakeholders and his special envoy, Julie Bishop, on how the UN, together with the ASEAN regional bloc and other partners, “can help support efforts towards a peaceful solution in the interests of the people of Myanmar, as called for by the Security Council and the General Assembly.”
Human rights chief ‘relieved’
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights welcomed Friday’s news.
Volker Turk tweeted that he was “relieved” by the long-awaited release of President Win Myint and other prisoners, as well as the commutation of their death sentences.
“All those unjustly detained since the coup – including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi – must be immediately and unconditionally released,” he said. “The relentless violence against all the people of Myanmar must end.”
Afghanistan: Thousands displaced in cross-border clashes with Pakistan
Aid workers continue to warn of growing needs in Afghanistan following cross-border hostilities with Pakistan that began in late February.
More than 94,000 people in six provinces have been displaced, according to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA. Some 160,000 people are hungry and around 90,000 people have reduced access to health services.
Fighting, including shelling, airstrikes and clashes, has damaged or destroyed homes, health facilities, schools and other civilian infrastructure.
Humanitarian operations have also been hampered, while explosive hazards remain a threat and hundreds of civilian casualties have been reported.
This week, bombings killed one person in Afghanistan and three in Pakistan.
Another school in Kunar province in northeastern Afghanistan was attacked on Wednesday and severely damaged, according to humanitarian partners, but no casualties were reported.
OCHA noted that although the main supply road between two districts of Kunar and neighboring Nuristan province reopened on Monday after being closed for two months, UN missions remain suspended due to security concerns.
Border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan also remain largely closed.
A team of IAEA experts tours the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and its surroundings. (archive)
Ukraine: repeated power losses at nuclear plant
The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine lost external power twice this week, intensifying concerns about nuclear safety as fighting continues, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Friday.
The outages occurred after the plant’s last remaining external power line was disconnected, forcing operators to rely on emergency diesel generators to maintain critical safety systems.
This marked the 14thth It is the time when all external power has been lost at the plant since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than four years ago.
“Repeated external power losses once again highlight the vulnerability of the ZNPP amid the ongoing conflict and persistent risks to nuclear security,” said Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA.
Dniprovska’s main 750 kV power line, which previously supplied the plant, has been offline since March 24, leaving the facility dependent on a single 330 kV backup line that has failed twice in recent days.
IAEA experts stationed at the plant continue to monitor the situation and await the results of an internal investigation into the incidents.