Myanmar releasing thousands of prisoners

YANGON, Myanmar, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Myanmar's military government said it has begun releasing more than 6,300 prisoners, including some from opposition National League for Democracy.

State media reported the released prisoners were freed because of good conduct and so they could vote in next year's elections, The Washington Post reported Monday.

The National League for Democracy is led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who remained under house arrest. Human rights groups say only a few of the prisoners being released are political prisoners.

Among the fewer than 20 political prisoners released so far are Zaw Myint Maung, elected to parliament in the voided 1990 elections but sentenced to 20 years in prison, the Post said. A number of monks jailed since 2003 also were released.

The releases come shortly after a visit to Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, by Tomas Ojea Quintana, a United Nations human rights official.

The Obama administration has promised to review the U.S. policy on Myanmar, which now includes sanctions against country's leadership and some of its influential business backers.