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Myanmar to Free All Prisoners of Conscience 'Soon'
[An Nahar] Myanmar's president said Tuesday his government would soon release all prisoners of conscience, as part of sweeping political reforms following the end of junta rule.Myanmar has formed a committee to review the cases of political detainees and "all the prisoners of conscience will be free soon", President Thein Sein said in a radio address. "We are taking time to investigate cases that confuse criminal offences and political offences," he said, adding that people convicted of violent crimes linked to political acts "deserve their sentences". The military junta which ruled for decades had denied the existence of political prisoners. But hundreds of political detainees have been freed since reformist President Thein Sein took power in March 2011, and last November announced a review of all "politically concerned" cases. However, death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate... activists say some 200 political prisoners remain in jail. They have accused Myanmar of using a series of headline-grabbing amnesties for political gain, aware that the international community is watching. Posted by: Fred 2013-06-05 |
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