Burma Releases Prominent Political Prisoners

Those freed include veterans of the 1988 student protest movement, monks involved in the 2007 demonstrations and ethnic-minority activists.


The highest profile is Min Ko Naing, a leader of the failed 1988 uprising.


State TV had announced that 651 prisoners would be freed under a new presidential pardon, but did not say how many would be political prisoners.


Burma has faced calls from the international community to free more dissidents.


The BBC's South East Asia correspondent Rachel Harvey says the names of those released read like a who's who of Burma's most prominent political detainees.


Burma’s military-backed government refuses to officially recognize political prisoners, labeling them as common criminals.


Aung Khaing Min says prisoners affiliated with armed ethnic groups or jailed under immigration laws would not be included in the release. He adds there are several laws that need to change to prevent more dissidents from being locked up.


"Electronics Transactions Act, for example, was enacted in 2004, designed to imprison political activists with longer sentences," he added. "And, for example, Article 71 and 72, Unlawful Association Act, those are commonly used to oppress the opposition or political dissent."


The release of all political prisoners is one requirement by Western nations for economic sanctions against Burma to be lifted.


The United States, the European Union, and others limit trade with Burma because of military abuses and suppression of democracy.


The prisoner releases came as U.S. Congressman Joe Crowley, a key supporter of sanctions, is in Burma for meetings with officials and democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.


Her National League for Democracy party is a big supporter of sanctions to maintain pressure on authorities for reforms.


The Nobel Prize winner was released from house arrest in 2010 just days after controversial elections that brought President Thein Sein to power.


His nominally civilian government took office in March replacing decades of overt military rule.


Critics say the elections merely cemented military power in the guise of democracy.


But President Thein Sein surprised observers with a series of reforms, including holding direct talks with Aung San Suu Kyi, seeking peace with ethnic rebel groups, and releasing hundreds of political prisoners.