Myanmar to give amnesty to 6,300 prisoners

YANGON, Myanmar, OCT 12 (AP): Myanmar's newly elected civilian government was poised Wednesday to release more than 6,300 prisoners in an amnesty that could help patch up the country's human rights record and normalise relations with Western nations. It was widely expected that many of the country's estimated 2,000 political prisoners would be among those freed. The amnesty announcement broadcast Tuesday did not supply names, but relatives said those on this list included one of the most prominent detainees - comedian and activist Zarganar, who is serving a 35-year sentence in Myitkyina prison in northernmost Kachin State. Zarganar was detained in 2008 after giving interviews to foreign media criticising the nation's former military rulers for being slow to respond to Cyclone Nargis, which left nearly 140,000 people dead or missing. He was convicted of causing public alarm and illegally giving information to the press. Zarganar's sister-in-law, Ma Nyein, told The Associated Press Wednesday that prison officials had confirmed that Zarganar was on a list of those to be freed. "I am very happy," she said. Freedom for political detainees has been hotly anticipated as part of liberalising measures since Myanmar's long-ruling military government handed power in March to a military-backed civilian administration. "We welcome the amnesty announcement. This is very good news and we hope that many political prisoners will be among those freed," said Nyan Win, a spokesman for democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi.