Government of Burma releases prisoners

Several high-profile dissidents have been set free in Burma in the latest in a series of prisoner amnesties. These latest releases come in the wake of a major peace milestone in the form of a ceasefire agreement with Burma’s ethnic Karen rebels, who have been fighting an insurgency since the time of British occupation. Burmese State Television reports that 651 prisoners would be freed under a new presidential pardon, but do not say how many are political prisoners. Among those released are Min Ko Naing, who was one of the leaders of a failed pro-democracy uprising in 1988. Former Prime Minister Khin Nyunt, who was detained in a purge in 2004, has also been freed from house arrest. The recently elected government – and the military that backs it – have taken several steps to convince the international community they are serious about implementing real political reforms. Western nations have welcomed the reform process but called on the government to release political prisoners and resolve ethnic conflicts in border regions before sanctions can be eased. Listen