Burma frees scores of political prisoners | Bangkok Post: news

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Burma frees scores of political prisoners

Burma released dozens of political prisoners on Wednesday, including one of its most famous comedians, in another tentative sign of change in the authoritarian state after decades of repression.

Family members of prisoners wait for their release outside the Insein central prison in Yangon. Myanmar released dozens of political prisoners on Wednesday, including one of its most famous comedians, in another tentative sign of change in the authoritarian state after decades of repression.

But rights groups criticised the hugely anticipated amnesty as insufficient because the regime kept most of its roughly 2,000 political detainees -- including democracy campaigners, journalists, monks and lawyers -- locked up.

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Writer: AFP News agency

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  • Discussion 1 : 12/10/2011 at 09:11 PM1

    good news for a change from Burma. I love the Burmese people and visit there often. However, I have loathed the Burmese junta which has essentially waged a war upon its own people. With this dissident release, and the nixing of the environmentally damaging dam in its north, things are looking refreshingly better.

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