Myanmar

MYANMAR’S junta chief yesterday announced the release of more than

5 000 people jailed for protesting against a February coup, days after a regional bloc delivered a major snub to the military regime. There has been chaos in Myanmar since the coup, with more than 1 100 civilians killed in a bloody crackdown on dissent and more than 8 000 arrested. More than 7 300 are behind bars. Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations excluded junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, instead choosing to invite a “non-political representative” to the October 26-28 summit.