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Myanmar frees prisoners in gesture to US
Source: Agencies |
November 16, 2012, Friday
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MYANMAR released prisoners yesterday in a goodwill gesture ahead of a historic visit by US President Barack Obama, but the main opposition party said there seemed to be no political detainees among them.
State media said early in the day 452 prisoners would be freed with the "intent to help promote goodwill and the bilateral relationship." A Home Ministry official said "prisoners of conscience" would be among them.
However, the National League for Democracy party of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi said that was not the case.
"It's so disappointing that none of those freed today are political prisoners," said senior party official Naing Naing, himself a former detainee.
Myanmar has released about 800 political prisoners as part of a dramatic reform program over the past year and a half.
The prisoners released yesterday included people who had been jailed for deserting the army or committing some other military offense, Naing Naing said. "Maybe these people are political prisoners by their yardstick."
Obama will become the first US president to visit Myanmar when he travels there during a Novembeer 17-20 tour of Southeast Asia that includes Thailand and Cambodia. He is due to meet President Thein Sein on Monday.
In the past year, Myanmar has introduced the most sweeping reforms in the country since a 1962 military coup.
State media said early in the day 452 prisoners would be freed with the "intent to help promote goodwill and the bilateral relationship." A Home Ministry official said "prisoners of conscience" would be among them.
However, the National League for Democracy party of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi said that was not the case.
"It's so disappointing that none of those freed today are political prisoners," said senior party official Naing Naing, himself a former detainee.
Myanmar has released about 800 political prisoners as part of a dramatic reform program over the past year and a half.
The prisoners released yesterday included people who had been jailed for deserting the army or committing some other military offense, Naing Naing said. "Maybe these people are political prisoners by their yardstick."
Obama will become the first US president to visit Myanmar when he travels there during a Novembeer 17-20 tour of Southeast Asia that includes Thailand and Cambodia. He is due to meet President Thein Sein on Monday.
In the past year, Myanmar has introduced the most sweeping reforms in the country since a 1962 military coup.
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