(Image source: CNN)


BY JESSICA SIBERT
ANCHOR JIM FLINK

You're watching multisource global video news analysis from Newsy.


In a rather controversial move, Myanmar’s newly elected civilian government announced Tuesday it will release more than 6300 prisoners. WCPO has more.

“The country's newly elected president said they will begin releasing 6,300 prisoners tomorrow who he says are ‘old, disabled, unwell, or who had shown good moral behavior.’ This is the first major move after a long-ruling military government handed over power to a civilian administration in March.”

The country did not say how many of those to be freed are political prisoners, but a writer for The Christian Science Monitor said the mass release, along with other recent news, is a significant sign of Myanmar’s change in policy.

“The amnesty, dam decision, and a number of other more minor liberalization actions – such as allowing a picture of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's main opposition leader, to appear in government-censored publications – together seem like a signal that reform is more than just surface-level this time.”

Euro News reports the amnesty is Myanmar’s latest step to better relations with Western nations who might, in exchange, offer some financial help to its otherwise crumbling economic system.

“The country formally known as Burma is subject to Western sanctions. Key reasons are human rights abuses and its detention of pro-democracy activists. But in recent months there have been signs that Myanmar is undergoing transformations after decades of authoritarian rule. The country held its first elections in decades just a year ago, although they were dismissed by the West as neither free nor fair. The government also released pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, after 15 years of house arrest last November and has since held talks with her.”

However, Human Rights Watch's senior researcher on Burmaremains skeptical of the news because the country has done this before. He tells The Guardian past amnesties tended to be “political deceptions.”

“The Burmese government is playing a game of obfuscation at the moment, as it's not clear how many of the 2,000 estimated political prisoners will be released. … [I]if they do release any political prisoners tomorrow [Wednesday], just letting them out of prison won't change anything. The real question is, what sort of quality of freedom will the government extend once they're free?"

A blogger for the National Post said the changes in Myanmar are looking good, but Washington should be wary in the days to come.

“Something odd and possibly encouraging is going on in Myanmar. … [A]ll of a sudden they’re being reasonable. It’s way too early to give them the benefit of the doubt. Washington, eager for a foreign policy victory of any sort, is already muttering about loosening sanctions. If ever there was a case for the cautious Mr. Obama to hold his fire, this is it.”

Three state newspapers carried a letter calling for a political amnesty earlier this week. Because Myanmar’s newspapers tend to align with government opinion, the fact that they carried the letter could be an indication political prisoners will be among those released.

The first prisoners will be released as early as Wednesday morning.


Transcript by Newsy.