Over 1,600 prisoners released in Myanmar

Yangon: Over 1,600 prisoners were released across the country Friday under an amnesty order of President U Thein Sein, local media reported.

The president granted the pardon to mark the country`s Independence Day which falls Saturday, Xinhua reported. The freed prisoners included over 40 foreigners. Under the pardon order, the prisoners on death row are commuted to life imprisonment while those serving life imprisonment and those with more than 40 years to serve are to serve 40 years in prison. Other inmates with jail terms of 40 years and below had their jail sentences cut one-fourth. Myanmar claimed Dec 30 that all remaining political prisoners were set free across the nation. According to the government, a total of 354 political prisoners were freed in 2013.