Myanmar junta frees hundreds held for anti-coup protests

Witnesses outside Insein Prison in Yangon on Wednesday saw busloads of mostly young people, looking happy with some flashing the three-finger gesture of defiance adopted by the protest movement.

An anti-coup protester discharges a fire extinguisher to counter the impact of the tear gas fired by police during a demonstration in Yangon, Myanmar. (File Photo | AP) 

YANGON: Myanmar's state TV says 628 people imprisoned for protesting last month's coup have been released.

Witnesses outside Insein Prison in Yangon on Wednesday saw busloads of mostly young people, looking happy with some flashing the three-finger gesture of defiance adopted by the protest movement.

The prisoners appear to be the hundreds of students detained in early March while demonstrating against the February 1 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.