Handed over to India due to COVID-19: RPF
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 18 2020:
The Government of Myanmar recently released 22 revolutionaries of WESEA and handed them over to India in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, said the proscribed RPF.
Myanmar has a tradition of releasing prisoners on their New Year's Day which falls in the month of April.
But this year greater number of prisoners were released in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As for the release and hand over of 22 revolutionaries of WESEA to the Indian authority, it has nothing to do with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's diplomatic skills or enhanced intelligence and defence cooperation between Myanmar and India, according to a statement issued by RPF Publicity Secretary Roben Khuman.
Welcoming the Government of Myanmar's move to release prisoners so that the prisoners can fight the pandemic collectively, the outfit said that all Governments including the Government of India should emulate the same move.
Unlike India, Myanmar has been tackling the issue of COVID-19 in a very systematic manner.
There is lockdown in Myanmar too but the people are not suffering as much as the people of India, it claimed.
While the positive cases in India have been increasing exponentially, there are only 187 positive cases and six deaths in Myanmar till May 18.Satisfied with the way how Myanmar has been tackling COVID-19, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has already declared that COVID-19 is manageable in Myanmar.
As recommended by the UN Secretary General, as many as 25,000 prisoners including 87 foreigners were released by the Government of Myanmar.
All the prisoners including the 22 revolutionaries from WESEA were released on humanitarian ground.
As such, the outfit does not see it as any diplomatic achievement of India, it added.