Myanmar junta pardons thousands ahead of disputed election

FILE PHOTO: Protesters hold up a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi as they shout slogans during a demonstration to mark the third anniversary of Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, outside of the United Nations office in Bangkok, Thailand, February 1, 2024. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/File Photo

(Reuters) -Myanmar's junta will pardon or drop charges against a total of 8,665 people, state media reported on Thursday, allowing them to vote in an upcoming election that Western countries and human rights groups have dismissed as a sham.

The order includes the reduction of sentences for 3,085 people convicted under section 505A of the penal code, which criminalises comments that could cause fear or spread fake news.