Myanmar pardoned prominent dissidents, journalists and a former premier Friday under a major prisoner amnesty, intensifying a surprising series of reforms by the army-backed regime. Western powers have demanded the release of political detainees languishing in jail in the country formerly known as Burma before they will consider lifting sanctions on the regime and its cronies.
Friday’s amnesty included members of the “88 Generation Students” group, which is synonymous with the democratic struggle in Myanmar and was at the forefront of a failed 1988 uprising in which thousands died. The mass pardon, which looked set to be the most significant yet under the nominally civilian government which took office last year, was hailed by democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition party as a “positive sign”. Amnesty International welcomed the release as “a major step forward.”
