Myanmar frees 7,000 prisoners

(Vatican Radio)  A mass pardon of nearly 7,000 prisoners in Myanmar on Thursday included the freeing of a range of political activists. The amnesty comes ahead of a landmark election in Myanmar later this year.

Listen to Alastair Wanklyn's report:

The prisoners walked free from jails nationwide. Among them were Burmese journalists and supporters of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Video images outside the prisons showed scenes of jubilation, but at least one of the activists was cynical, as his prison term had only one month to run.

Among those released were some at the start of lengthy sentences, including 155 Chinese workers jailed amid a crackdown on illegal logging in Burmese forests. China's foreign ministry welcomed the release, calling it "important."

It was unclear how many political prisoners were affected. One human rights group said it could confirm about a dozen, but that the tally did not include prisons where communications were difficult.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said as of last week there were 136 in jail and more than 400 facing trial.

In November, Myanmar will hold an election which is seen as a test of how far democratic reforms have taken hold after six decades under military rule.