Sri Lankan Fishermen released from Myanmar Prison under General Amnesty

The 15 Sri Lankan fishermen who were sentenced to 7 years of rigorous imprisonment in Myanmar for violating maritime boundaries have been granted a general amnesty.

The Sri Lankan Ambassador to Myanmar, Janaka Bandara, communicated this news to the media.

These fishermen were arrested by Myanmar authorities in December 2023 for illegally crossing the country’s maritime boundaries.

Ambassador Bandara stated that the embassy had made several requests for leniency and a general pardon for the fishermen, following the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He also mentioned that he met with the Prime Minister of Myanmar to request the amnesty, which was subsequently granted.

Ambassador Bandara added that the embassy would take steps to repatriate the fishermen to Sri Lanka within the next few days.

As part of a tradition linked to the Myanmar New Year, the Myanmar State Administration Council granted amnesty to over 3,000 prisoners.

This group included 3,303 Myanmar nationals and 36 foreign prisoners, among them 13 Indonesian nationals and 15 Sri Lankan fishermen.