YANGON- Myanmar’s junta said it will release more than 1,600 prisoners from jails across the country on Sunday to mark the Buddhist new year, without specifying whether those being pardoned were protesters or common criminals. The Southeast Asian country has been in turmoil since Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government was ousted last year in a military coup, which sparked huge protests and a deadly crackdown. State television announced that 1,619 prisoners, including 42 foreigners had been “pardoned” and will be released to mark the new year. It was unclear whether anti-junta protesters or journalists jailed for covering the coup will be among those freed. On Sunday morning, more than 100 people gathered outside Yangon’s Insein prison hoping to be reunited with loved ones, AFP correspondents said.