ASEAN CHAIR’S STATEMENT 

ON THE RELEASE OF PRISONERS IN MYANMAR 

24 APRIL 2026 

1. We welcome the announcement of the release of more than 4,000 prisoners on 17 April 2026, in conjunction with Myanmar’s New Year. 

2. In particular, we welcome the release of U Win Myint, viewing this as a positive step towards inclusive national dialogue among all parties in Myanmar. 

3. In this regard, we encourage the release of the remaining prisoners in Myanmar, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in the spirit of genuine reconciliation and peace. 

4. We also welcome the grant of amnesty to ASEAN nationals and look forward to their safe and prompt repatriation, as well as those who remain in detention, especially those who are victims of human trafficking and other transnational crimes. 

5. We reaffirm our commitment to assisting Myanmar, as an integral part of ASEAN, to achieve a peaceful and durable solution to the political crisis in the country that is Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led. We also reaffirm our united position that the Five-Point Consensus remains as the primary reference to address the political crisis in Myanmar, and called for immediate cessation of violence, especially against civilians and public facilities, and urged all parties involved to take concrete action to immediately halt indiscriminate violence, denounce any escalation, exercise utmost restraint, ensure the protection and safety of all civilians and create conducive environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. We reiterate the continued relevance of the role of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar in engaging all parties concerned in an inclusive national dialogue.