BURMA RELEASES WOMEN PRISONERS

The releases follow a visit by UN rights envoy Paulo Sergio Pinheiro.

November 18, 2003 – (BBC) Burma has released 58 prisoners on humanitarian grounds, according to a statement by the military government.

It said that nine men over the age of 65, and 49 women, either pregnant or with children, were set free.

It did not say if they were political prisoners and made no mention of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

It comes a week after United Nations human rights envoy, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, called for the release of all political detainees. "The government will continue to release those that will cause no harm to the community nor threaten the existing peace, stability and the unity of the nation as the country goes through a steady evolution towards a democracy," the government statement released on Tuesday said.

After his visit earlier this month, Mr Pinheiro said releasing prisoners would be an important gesture by the government to signal to the world that it was moving towards democratic rule.

Security

Mr Pinheiro has made six visits to Burma since he was appointed three years ago.

After his most recent trip, he said that the release of political prisoners had slowed to a trickle, with about 1,300 still behind bars.

Among those still detained are senior leaders of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), who are on average 80 years old.

Mr Pinheiro said that Aung San Suu Kyi herself had refused an offer to be freed from house arrest, unless her supporters were also released.

The Burmese Government told Mr Pinheiro that Aung San Suu Kyi was no longer held under any security law.

But Mr Pinheiro said Suu Kyi's telephone was cut and there were "security arrangements" around her house.

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3279417.stm