Myanmar drops charges against 200 activists

Myanmar authorities have dropped charges against nearly 200 political activists since Aung San Suu Kyi pledged to fight for their freedom, a senior police officer told AFP yesterday.

The cases were dismissed Friday, he said, following Suu Kyi's announcement the day before that she was working with her new civilian-led administration to secure the release of scores of political prisoners languishing in Myanmar's jails.

"Police have dropped 199 cases against political activists around the country as of yesterday," the officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The issue has personal resonance for Suu Kyi and many in her fledgling government, which is stacked with former activists once jailed under junta rule for their pro-democracy campaigns.

Those freed Friday included dozens of student activists in central Tharrawaddy who had been locked up for more than a year over an education demonstration they organised in March 2015.

In statement later that night Suu Kyi said more political prisoners would be released following Myanmar's new year holiday.