Myanmar, once a pariah, pardons prisoners ahead of regional summit
Over 3,000 prisoners were released Tuesday, the latest in a series of gestures by a reformist government that has opened the doors to Western investment and political engagement. President Obama is due to attend a regional summit next month.
Over 3,000 prisoners were released Tuesday, the latest in a series of gestures by a reformist government that has opened the doors to Western investment and political engagement. President Obama is due to attend a regional summit next month.
Myanmar's government pardoned 3,073 prisoners on Tuesday in the latest show of political reform in Southeast Asia's poorest country.
The announcement follows at least a dozen similar releases by Myanmar鈥檚 semi-civilian government. Once deemed a pariah by Western powers, Myanmar has implemented far-reaching reforms since the end of military rule in 2011.聽
The latest prisoner release comes ahead of a summit Myanmar is hosting in November of regional and international leaders, including President Barack Obama, Reuters reports. Myanmar, also known as Burma, often grants amnesty to prisoners before diplomatic meetings in an attempt to 鈥渂olster its reformist credentials.鈥�
Myanmar's Ministry of Information said in a post on its website that the prisoners were being released 鈥渙n humanitarian grounds,鈥� the Associated Press reports. President Thein Sein cited 鈥減eace and stability鈥� and 鈥渢he rule of law鈥� in a statement posted on Facebook.
Most of the prisoners were jailed for minor crimes, according to the AP, but at least eight were former intelligence officers arrested 10 years ago as part of a political purge. Fifty-eight were foreign nationals.
Human rights groups said it was unclear how many political prisoners were included in the release. They called on President Thein Sein, a former general who was elected in 2011 after five decades of military rule, to keep his promise of releasing all such detainees by the end of the year.
鈥淭his is nothing but an empty gesture on the authorities鈥� part,鈥� said Richard Bennett, Amnesty International鈥檚 Asia Pacific Director, in an online statement. 鈥淚f the Myanmar authorities were genuine about improving respect for human rights, they would follow through on the long-standing promise to clear the country鈥檚 jails of the dozens of peaceful activists still behind bars.鈥澛�
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an advocacy group, said there were 80 political prisoners in Myanmar at the end of September. An additional 130 political prisoners are awaiting trial, AP reports.
Among those released were once prominent military intelligence officers, the Wall Street Journal reports:
Most international sanctions against Myanmar have been lifted as it continues with its reformist agenda. As a result, the country鈥檚 once stagnant economy, in which China has been a major investor, has boomed with an influx of new Asian and Western investment.聽
On Monday, the International Monetary Fund estimated that Myanmar鈥檚 economy would grow by an average of eight percent in the coming years, Reuters reports:聽