More than 2,000 political prisoners were pardoned by Myanmar’s junta to celebrate Kasone Full Moon Day, a Buddhist holiday, on May 11. The junta issued a statement that prisoners serving sentences under Penal Code 505 (a) were pardoned, a law that carries a maximum three-year jail term.

Families rushed to prisons to reunite with loved ones jailed during the junta’s sweeping crackdown on dissent after it took power in a February 2021 coup, arresting thousands of protesters and activists.

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The pardons were granted “for the peaceful mind of the people and on humanitarian grounds,” the junta said, adding that those who re-offend would have to serve the remainder of their sentence with an additional penalty. Myanmar typically releases thousands of prisoners to mark national holidays or Buddhist festivals.

The announcement of the pardons came as Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang visited the country for talks with the internationally isolated generals.

Qin, the highest-profile Chinese official to meet with the top general since the coup, urged the international community to respect Myanmar’s sovereignty and help it achieve peace and reconciliation.