Myanmar announces amnesty for 514 inmates

YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar declared an amnesty for 514 prison inmates including some foreigners, the Information Ministry said Monday.

"I don't know yet how many political prisoners were among those receiving the amnesty," said Bo Kyi, spokesman for the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma.

The group estimated there were about 400 political prisoners in Myanmar jails before Monday's amnesty.

In July 2011, the government released about 600 political prisoners. That marked a major policy shift for Myanmar, which has been pursuing political and economic reforms since President Thein Sein took office in March of that year.

Western democracies had long demanded the release of all political prisoners as a necessary first step for lifting economic sanctions on the once-pariah state that was under military rule between 1962-2010.

The U.S. and European Union eased sanctions earlier this year.

Myanmar has been run by a nominally elected government since a November 2010 election brought the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party to power.

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