Disappointment at Myanmar prison term cuts

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YANGON, Jan 3, (agencies): Activists and Myanmar's opposition expressed frustration Tuesday after an order to cut jail terms for all inmates appeared to fall far short of hopes for an amnesty for political detainees.
Around 300 people gathered outside Yangon's notorious Insein prison on Tuesday as prisoners, including women carrying children, emerged from the jail following an order to reduce most sentences.
But the announcement failed to mention the plight of top dissidents, dashing expectations that Myanmar's army-backed government would free more political prisoners as part of recent reformist gestures.
Nyan Win, spokesman for Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, said it was not yet clear whether any of the party's imprisoned members would be released as a result of the move. "We were hoping for a real amnesty," he said.
Myanmar's political prisoners include former student protesters, monks, journalists and lawyers and their fate is a key concern of the international community.
Under the order, death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment, jail terms above 30 years will be reduced to 30 years, those between 20 and 30 years will be cut to 20 years and shorter sentences will be cut by a quarter.
Most high-profile dissidents, like those from a failed 1988 student uprising, are serving decades behind bars so would have little hope of freedom as a result of the order, which was made to honour Independence Day on Wednesday.
Earlier report adds: Myanmar's army-backed regime announced Monday it was reducing the sentences of some prisoners to mark Independence Day, but made no mention of a much-anticipated release of political detainees.
All inmates, except those imprisoned for life, will see their prison terms cut in honour of the national celebrations on Wednesday, according to an order from President Thein Sein. Another report adds: : Myanmar's state media, known for its dogged support of the country's former military junta, Tuesday celebrated 2011 as the year the previous "authoritarian" regime ended.
Government mouthpiece the New Light of Myanmar said that last year, when a new nominally-civilian government took power and implemented a series of reform gestures, was a "transition period from the old era to the new one".