Original Story Asia Pacific.com Thailand releases 25,000 prisoners on queen's birthday 12/08/2004 23:00:24 Thailand has released 25,000 prisoners across the country in an amnesty to mark the 72nd birthday of the nation's queen. The authorities grant royal pardons on auspicious occasions to relieve pressure on the overcrowded jails. Such occasions include the king and queen's fifth and sixth "cycle" birthdays, when they turn 60 and 72 years old. The released inmates, representing nearly a 10th of the 260,000 prisoners nationwide, include convicted killers, with only those jailed for drug offences denied freedom. Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, launched a "war" against traffickers last year that left more than 2,000 people dead. Thailand's biggest-ever amnesty was in 1987, when 37,400 inmates were freed in honour of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60th birthday. Queen Sirikit's 72nd birthday is being marked by a public holiday and the release of a commemorative banknote and stamp.
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