YANGON (Reuters) - 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 on Monday.
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."
Nyan Win, a spokesman for the now-defunct National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which was led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's most famous political prisoner, said he expected those due for release were common criminals.
Suu Kyi's house arrest is due to end on November 13, six days after the country's first election since 1990. That vote was won by the NLD but ignored by the junta.
The NLD had decided to boycott next month's ballot because of what it sees as skewed election laws and the continued detention of hundreds of its members.
"I don't think (Suu Kyi) will be freed as part of this amnesty, even if it really takes place," Nyan Win added.A retired judge in Yangon said it was possible some less prominent activists deemed no threat to the political process could be among the 3,000 due for release.
"I don't think the regime has enough confidence to run the risk of releasing prominent political prisoners before the elections," he said.
"Their release may come in a general amnesty, most probably after the elections, to improve the country's image."
(Reporting by Aung Hla Tun; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Alan Raybould)
Source:http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE69A0XW20101011
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