Yangon (AsiaNews) - The Burmese government has announced the release of thousands of prisoners, including former senior military intelligence officers, but no political prisoner. The decision comes just a few weeks away from the 25th ASEAN summit (Association of South-East Asian Nations), scheduled from November 9 to 11 in Naypyidaw, which will be attended by US President Barack Obama and other world leaders .
President of Myanmar Thein Sein has pardoned 3,073 prisoners in the name of "peace and stability" and to "respect the rule of law." The executive declined to identify the names and crimes committed by the inmates, but the vast majority had been convicted of common crimes, not for political activities.
Activists from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP - Burma), one of the most important groups in Myanmar to aid political prisoners, report that the amnesty does not apply to political prisoners. Six or seven of those released, says Bo Kyi, are former top intelligence officials "but certainly cannot be considered political prisoners".
Local political experts explain that these are members of the internal security and army who were jailed a decade ago, at the time of the purges ordered by the military dictatorship that ruled Myanmar until 2010. Those released include Brigadier General Thein Swe, as confirmed by his son Myat Swe on his Facebook page.
Government sources add that the 3 thousand freed
prisoners include 58 foreign nationals, without specifying the nationality; the
amnesty decided at this time is just the latest of a dozen reformist measures implemented
by the semi-civilian government since its rise to power in March 2011, however,
despite the announcements of President Thein Sein, who had assured the release
of all political prisoners by the end of 2013, dozens of people are still locked
up in Burmese prisons for
crimes of opinion.
The latest estimates compiled by AAPP, updated to September, speak of at least 80
activists detained and another 130 awaiting trial for crimes of opinion. These
arrests and convictions fall under the infamous Section 18 of the Law on Assemblies,
a pretext used by the authorities to stop, arrest and convict those fighting
for political freedom, civil and human rights in the country. Just last month, according
to AAPP in a note sent to AsiaNews, there were 11 convictions of attivists, the indictment of 13 people (including two already in prison)
and the release of two political prisoners.