30 Political Prisoners Released in Independence Day Amnesty

Narinjara News
1/4/2007

About 3000 prisoners were released yesterday from several jails in Burma as part of the independence day amnesty, with 30 political prisoners among them.

However, there were no prominent political leaders, such as detained democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi or well-known senior journalist U Win Tin, among those granted release.

AAPP, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), said that even though there were 30 political prisoners released, their jail terms had already been concluded and they were set to be released regardless of the independence day amnesty.

Junta officials said that 2,831 prisoners were to be freed from prisons around the country ahead of the 59th anniversary of the country's independence from Britain on the 4th of January, 1948. However, the authorities have not made any remarks regarding the detention of Daw Suu.

The NLD party said Burma's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi is not expected to be among those given amnesty, but four other political prisoners were released yesterday.

Soe Moe Naing, and activist who had been serving a 25-year sentence since 1999 was freed from Mandalay prison in center Burma, NLD representatives said.

According to a report of the AAPP of those political prisoners released, four are from Mandalay prison, three are from Kale prison, eleven are from Insein, eight are from Tharawaddy, and four are from Thayet prison.

In Burma there were an estimated 1,021 political prisoners before this round of releases, so currently there are 991 prisoners remaining in several prisons around the country, according to an AAPP report. #

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