Yangon

UNHCR chief visits Myanmar's Rakhine state, homeland of Rohingyas

UNHCR chief visits Myanmar's Rakhine state, homeland of Rohingyas Yangon - United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres arrived in Yangon Wednesday after a two-day visit to Rakhine state, the traditional homeland of Rohingya refugees, officials confirmed.

"He visited Sittwe yesterday afternoon and also visited Yathittaung town today," said a state official who requested anonymity.

Myanmar's military capital gets new pagoda

Myanmar's military capital gets new pagoda Yangon  - In a ceremony presided over by Myanmar's military supremo Senior General Than Shwe and attended by the junta hierarchy, a new pagoda for the capital of Naypyitaw was inaugurated this weekend, media reports said Sunday.

Than Shwe and his wife Kyaing Kyaing presided over the hoisting of the umbrella on top of the Uppatasanti Pagoda on Saturday in Naypyitaw, Myanmar's capital since
2004 that is situated about about 350 kilometres north of Yangon, the former capital.

Myanmar releases at least 19 political prisoners

MyanmarYangon  - Myanmar's amnesty for more than 6,000 prisoners has so far included only 19 political prisoners, excluding opposition leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Tin Oo, observers said Sunday.

The military regime announced Friday that it would release 6,313 prisoners from the country's jails as a "gesture" of sympathy towards their families and to allow them to participate in the upcoming general election of 2010.

Myanmar releases at least 19 political prisoners

Myanmar MapYangon - Myanmar's amnesty for more than 6,000 prisoners has so far included only 19 political prisoners, excluding opposition leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Tin Oo, observers said Sunday.

The military regime announced Friday that it would release 6,313 prisoners from the country's jails as a "gesture" of sympathy towards their families and to allow them to participate in the upcoming general election of 2010.

Myanmar starts to release prisoners under amnesty for 6,313 inmates

Myanmar MapYangon - Myanmar authorities on Saturday began to free prisoners from Yangon's notorious Insein jail, including some political prisoners, under a government amnesty for 6,313 inmates nationwide.

Eyewitnesses saw scores of prisoners leaving Insein on Saturday evening. Among them were Thet Wai, a member of the opposition National League for Democracy
(NLD) party, and five other low-ranking opposition members.

Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her deputy Tin Oo have apparently been excluded from the amnesty. Suu Kyi and Tin Oo have been under house arrest since mid-2003.

Myanmar junta announces amnesty for 6,000 prisoners

MyanmarYangon - Myanmar'a junta announced an amnesty Friday for more than 6,000 prisoners, although it remained unclear how many political prisoners were included, Napyitaw radio reported Friday.

"For the humanitarian reasons, for the sake of the family members, to demonstrate the goodwill of the government and to be able to allow fair participation in the upcoming 2010 free and fair general election, Myanmar government will release 6,313 prisoners started from 21 February," the announcement said.

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