Myanmar President U Thein Sein on Thursday granted presidential pardon to nearly 7,000 prisoners ahead of a national Buddhist holiday. The released prisoners include 155 Chinese nationals who were sentenced for illegal logging earlier this month.

China had protested against the imprisonment of the 155 loggers. The foreign ministry told Myanmar to consider China's concerns critically and deal with the issue in a "lawful, reasonable and justified manner."

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Out of the 6,996 prisoners freed from various prisons across Myanmar on Thursday, at least 210 are foreigners. According to Xinhua, the release of the imprisoned foreigners is aimed at fostering bilateral ties between Myanmar and the related countries.

Myanmar's Information Ministry explained that the presidential pardon for the prisoners was made "on humanitarian grounds and is in view of national reconciliation."

There are speculations that several imprisoned former Myanmar officials - including military intelligence staff and politicians - are among the group recently freed. A civil activist, who confirmed these speculations to The Myanmar Times, was unsure exactly how many political prisoners have been pardoned. Myanmar authorities have not published a list of the 6,996 prisoners who have received amnesty.

Experts say the release of the 155 Chinese loggers is likely to ease any tension between both countries caused by their imprisonment. Chinese officials have been in contact with Myanmar since the group were arrested in January and have been demanding their freedom.

The Chinese consulate in Myanmar revealed that the group was deceived into harvesting timber in foreign territory.

In January, the 155 Chinese citizens were arrested in Myanmar's restive Kachin state, which shares a border with China. Logging has been outlawed in Myanmar since 2014. However, unscrupulous loggers continue to harvest timber illegally. Some of the top destinations for this product include China, India, Bangladesh and Thailand.

Myanmar authorities have expressed concerns that profit from illegal logging can be used to fund rebel groups like Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

TagsMyanmar China, Chinese Loggers Myanmar Imprisoned, Chinese Loggers Myanmar Freed, Myanmar Logging, Myanmar Logging Ban, 155 Chinese Loggers Myanmar