Another 5,070 prisoners freed, says Myanmar
Last Updated: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 | 12:31 PM ET
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The junta said it was the third mass release in the country, formerly known as Burma, since Nov. 18, but the figures have not been independently verified.
- FROM NOV. 19, 2004: Burma said to be freeing 4,000 political prisoners
The government touted the move as part of a wide-ranging amnesty for thousands of prisoners it said were improperly detained.
Myanmarese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi does not seem to be among the released prisoners. (AP file photo)
Most of the people who have been let go are believed to have been petty criminals.
According to opposition parties, including the National League for Democracy, only about 50 dissidents have been set free.
Several senior NLD members were among those released in recent weeks. However, there was no word on the party's leader. Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for most of the past 14 years.
Khin Nyunt's ouster from Myanmar's prime ministership may be linked to the release of prisoners. (AP file photo)
It's believed the move to release so many prisoners may be related to the ousting in October of Myanmarese prime minister Khin Nyunt.
- FROM OCT. 19, 2004: Myanmar military rulers force out PM
Khin Nyunt, the head of military intelligence for two decades, was removed from power on Oct. 19 and remains under house arrest over corruption allegations.
The National Intelligence Bureau, which gave officers loyal to Khin Nyunt widespread powers, was abolished late last month, and many of its officers are now believed to be imprisoned.
Analysts believe the purge and the prisoner release program point to internal tensions within the Myanmarese administration, which is under international pressure to improve human rights or continue to face trade restrictions.
Human-rights watchdog Amnesty International said in its 2004 report that 1,350 political prisoners remain imprisoned in Myanmar.
With files from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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