Burma vows to free political prisoners

During a visit to Burma, the first be UK foreign secretary in 55 years, William Hague said that Burma vowed to free more political prisoners.

Contradicting Hague, Wunna Maung Lwin said that political prisoners were not acknowledged in Burma but all were criminals.

Lwin said it would be the president’s decision whether prisoners were released and a number had been released on three previous occasions.

Journalists, rebels and monks in their hundreds are still thought to be behind bars in Burma for leading or participating in anti-government protests in 2007.

An ostensibly civilian government had been voted for in Burma after the first elections held in 20 years and Hague was the latest world diplomat to visit the country.

Pledges that changes in Burma would be ‘irreversible’ were made by Lwin but there were no indications of how far or fast the transitions would be.

Pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi was released once the new legislature was voted in and formally registered her National League for Democracy as a political party.