In this file photo dated April 17, 2020, family members wait for prisoners to be released from Insein Prison in Yangon as part of an annual amnesty to thousands of prisoners to mark its April New Year holiday. (SAI AUNG MAIN / AFP)

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, who is the special envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar, on Friday welcomed the recent mass release of prisoners by the State Administration Council of Myanmar.

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In a statement released to the media on Friday, Sokhonn considered this mass release as an important gesture in the right direction to create a conducive environment for the commencement of a dialogue process among all concerned parties in Myanmar.

Cambodia's Foreign Minister considered the mass release of prisoners is important to create a conducive environment

"It is a sign of good will in pursuing a peaceful solution to the current crisis, and a positive development in line with the spirit and aspiration of the Five-Point Consensus reached at the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on April 24, 2021," he said.

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It is hoped that more progress can be achieved on the three priorities of the Five-Point Consensus, namely ending violence, facilitation of humanitarian assistance delivery, and building trust and confidence for an inclusive peace dialogue, according to the statement.

The statement came after the State Administration Council of Myanmar on Thursday granted amnesty to 5,774 prisoners to mark the country's National Day.

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ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.