It is unclear if Burma’s amnesty applies to political prisoners, such as those in the 2007 protests Burma begins releasing prisoners
It is unclear if Burma’s amnesty applies to political prisoners, such as those in the 2007 protests Burma’s announcement of a prisoner release programme has been criticised as “pathetic”, falling far short of calls to release political prisoners.
The Burmese President, former general Thein Sein, said prisoners would be given a one-year sentence reduction.
However, the plan did not give any details, nor whether it would apply to the 2,200 political prisoners in Burma.
Separately the United States reimposed economic sanctions for actions “hostile to US interests”.
Burmese state media reported on Monday that President Thein Sein had signed a “general amnesty” on humanitarian grounds.
This would commute death sentences to life imprisonment and cut a year off other prison terms.
Neither eligibility of prisoners for early release, nor the timing of the amnesty, was detailed.
“I think this amnesty order is not intended for the political prisoners,” said Nyan Win, a spokesman for pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) group described the amnesty as a “pathetic response” to demands for the freedom of all political prisoners.
Given that some political prisoners have been given terms of 65 years in jail, a one-year reduction, even if applied to them, was a “sick joke”, HRW said.
Long-term political prisonersZargana, Burma’s most famous comedian, is serving a 35-year sentence for criticising the government’s slow response to Cyclone Nargis;U Gambira, a 30-year-old monk who helped lead the August-September 2007 protests is serving a 63-year sentence;Min Ko Naing, a former student leader, is serving a 65-year sentence;Nay Phone Latt, a 30-year-old blogger on the 2007 protests was sentenced to 12 years in prison;Su Su Nway, a female labour rights activist, is serving an eight-and-a-half-year sentence after raising a banner criticising Burma’s government at the hotel of a visiting UN special envoy
Burma’s last general amnesty, in 2009, saw the release of 7,114 prisoners, most of them petty criminals.
Alongside its political prisoners, Burma has more than 60,000 prisoners in 42 prisons and 109 labour camps.
Meanwhile, the United States has renewed its sanctions against economic ties with the military-backed Burmese government.
US President Barack Obama said in a statement to Congress that sanctions were required because of Burma’s “large-scale repression of the democratic opposition”.
Efforts to engage the Burmese military over the past two years, and the holding of elections last November, have not convinced the Obama administration that any real change is under way.
“We reiterate our call that all political prisoners be released immediately,” US state department spokesman Mark Toner said.
Last month, the European Union relaxed some sanctions against members of Burma’s government.
The Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) has welcomed the elections and suggested that sanctions should be dropped in order to help Burma progress.
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