Yangon (AsiaNews/Ap) - Myanmar's military government has begun releasing almost 4,000 prisoners whose detentions were ruled irrelevant or improper, state-run radio and television announced. There was no indication that any political prisoners would be among those freed. The announcement said the releases, from all over the country, had begun Thursday. No timetable was announced for the completion of the prisoner release.
The announcement said that 3,937 prisoners had been wrongly charged by the former National Intelligence Bureau, an umbrella organization of internal security organizations that was dissolved by the junta last month. The bureau had been headed by former Prime Minister Gen. Khin Nyunt, who was ousted Oct. 19. by Than Shwe, head of the junta, in what was seen as a consolidation of his power, report said. He has since been accused of corruption and insubordination. Khin Nyunt's removal from power was believed to have been orchestrated by hardline members of the junta opposed to his relative moderation in dealing with the country's pro-democracy movement, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Amnesty International estimates that there were 1,350 political detainees in 2004, many associated with Aung Sang Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party. The junta has never admitted to holding political prisoners. However, under pressure from the international community, it freed some detainees in small groups in 2002 and 2003, citing "humanitarian" reasons.
