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Elections are scheduled to take place in 2010. Human Rights Watch said in September 2009 that all political prisoners must be released if these are to have any credibility. "Despite recent conciliatory visits by UN and foreign officials, the military government is actually increasing the number of critics it is throwing into its squalid prisons," said the organisation.
It also said that Buddhist monks in Burma face continuing repression, intimidation and harsh prison sentences two years after the military government's brutal reaction to peaceful demonstrations. On 22 September 2009, 127 political prisoners were released from prisons in Burma. State-run TV said a total of 7,114 prisoners were being released “on humanitarian grounds”. Some 43 members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party were set free, including three MPs. No leading opposition figures were released in the amnesty.
“We are happy for those political prisoners released, and for their loved ones. But from a political perspective, this is just a cynical ploy designed to ease international pressure. There can be no real progress towards democracy in our country until all political prisoners are released,” said The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).
Zarganar was not among those released.
It also said that Buddhist monks in Burma face continuing repression, intimidation and harsh prison sentences two years after the military government's brutal reaction to peaceful demonstrations. On 22 September 2009, 127 political prisoners were released from prisons in Burma. State-run TV said a total of 7,114 prisoners were being released “on humanitarian grounds”. Some 43 members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party were set free, including three MPs. No leading opposition figures were released in the amnesty.
“We are happy for those political prisoners released, and for their loved ones. But from a political perspective, this is just a cynical ploy designed to ease international pressure. There can be no real progress towards democracy in our country until all political prisoners are released,” said The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).
Zarganar was not among those released.
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