This is bizarre.
There is no indication that the annual Thingyan prisoner release in Myanmar was related to Covid19 coronavirus at all. The government denied that there was any connection between the two.
Does UNAIDS think its advocacy on covidecarceration had anything to do with the release or the size of the release?
Jamie
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Massive prison amnesty in Myanmar in response to COVID-19
UNAIDS
17 April 2020
On 17 May, the President of Myanmar agreed to release more than 25,000 prisoners, including drug users arrested in possession of a limited amount of drugs or who did not report to drug treatment services as required by law.
UNAIDS is following up with the Ministry of Health and Sports and the nongovernmental organizations who are involved in the provision of health information and referral for care to those released, including for people who use drugs and for people living with HIV who are on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). The latter are being provided up to 6-months antiretrovirals (ARV) to reduce the need for them to go to treatment centres in the coming period with stay home or lock-down orders for the whole population or for certain regions-states.
Earlier in the month, civil society organizations and the United Nations had sent letters to the President calling for the decongestion of detention facilities in response to COVID-19.
https://www.unaids.org/en/20200417_Myanmar_prison




