Yangon: The Myanmar state-run radio and television Tuesday announced the release of 6,359 prisoners from Wednesday under an amnesty ordered by the country`s President.
Myanmar President U Thein Sein signed the order to free those with good conduct and discipline, the old-aged prisoners, and those suffering ill-health and handicapped, reports quoted an official report as saying.
A per reports, thousands of political prisoners will be released by the military junta clearing the way for the country`s democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters to take part in parliamentary elections later this year.
Details of an emerging political accommodation between Burma`s Nobel laureate and the country`s military regime began to emerge on Monday amid growing hopes for an end to the country`s international isolation, reports said.
Assistant U.S Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said there were "dramatic developments under way" and that Aung San Suu Kyi had held "very consequential dialogue" with leaders in the military-backed government.
According to Western diplomats, Shwe Mann, Speaker of Burma`s lower house of Parliament, told Norway`s visiting Deputy Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide that the ruling generals will begin releasing its more than 1200 political prisoners "within days" at a meeting on Friday last week.
His claim was supported by an unnamed Burmese official who said prisoners would be released before the country`s president Thein Sein leaves for an official visit to India on Wednesday.
IANS
