Myanmar to free 3,000 prisoners before polls
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Myanmar's military government is planning the early release of 3,000 prisoners to allow them to vote in next month's long-awaited election, a prison department official said Monday, reports BBC.
Those slated for early release would be prisoners whose terms were due to end in November or December, but it was not known what crimes they were convicted of or whether any were political detainees.
Rights groups say more than 2,200 activists are currently in detention in Myanmar. The government insists it has no political detainees in any of its 43 prisons or 100 labor camps.
"Necessary preparations are under way and about 3,000 inmates are expected to be freed," the prison department official told Reuters. He asked not to be named.
"As far as I know, there is a plan to reduce the prison terms of the inmates by up to 30 days with the intent to enable them to vote in the upcoming elections."
Those slated for early release would be prisoners whose terms were due to end in November or December, but it was not known what crimes they were convicted of or whether any were political detainees.
Rights groups say more than 2,200 activists are currently in detention in Myanmar. The government insists it has no political detainees in any of its 43 prisons or 100 labor camps.
"Necessary preparations are under way and about 3,000 inmates are expected to be freed," the prison department official told Reuters. He asked not to be named.
"As far as I know, there is a plan to reduce the prison terms of the inmates by up to 30 days with the intent to enable them to vote in the upcoming elections."