MYANMAR’S military-controlled government announced a mass release of prisoners on Thursday to mark the country’s National Victory Day.

According to Myanmar’s state-run MRTV, a total of 5,774 prisoners were being released.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights monitoring organisation, 16,232 people have been detained on political charges in Myanmar since the army ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February last year.

AAPP say of those arrested, 13,015 were still in detention and at least 2,465 civilians have been killed by security forces in the same period, the group says.

Amnesty International Australia’s Tim O’Connor, said: “Amnesty continues to call for the release of all those arbitrarily detained for peacefully exercising their human rights.

“Thousands of people jailed since the coup in Myanmar have done nothing wrong.”

Since seizing power, the military has cracked down on the coverage of protests, raided media companies, detained dozens of journalists and revoked the licences of at least a dozen outlets.

Most of those detained were being held for allegedly causing fear, spreading false news, or agitating against a government employee.