The Amnesty Program is introduced by the New Republic in the aftermath of the fall of the Galactic Empire but it doesn’t appear to be perfect.
Following the death of Emperor Palpatine and the establishment of the New Republic, the incoming government needed to decide all things Empire.
All the regular people who fulfilled simple roles in the Empire and were maybe forced into it got a chance to enroll in the Amnesty Program and carry out a sentence of community service for the New Republic.
While the program does promote an image of second chances, many aspects of it are restrictive and meant to act as a subtle punishment for their past loyalties.
Second class citizens
The members of the program were designated with a letter and number as their identification which immediately reads as mildly oppressive, similar to the clones being referred to by their CT number rather than their self-adopted names.
They are also made to wear specific uniforms with badges so that everyone around them knows that they served under the Empire and are now a part of the program. This leaves them open to discrimination by people who despised the previous rule.
Elia Kane mentions that they have designated areas and cannot move outside of these boundaries which is yet another restriction put upon them despite their supposed rehabilitation.
Finally, on the subject of rehabilitation, it is shown how the New Republic deals with alleged traitors who continue to support the Empire by subjecting them to treatment using a mind flayer machine, even if they claim that it is on a lower setting and meant to be calming.
The Amnesty Program presents as a way for servants of the Empire to redeem themselves but in a cruel twist, is just a disguised form of Empire-like policies with respect to dealing with dissenters.
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