State media reports release of 651 political prisoners, including leader of 1988 pro-democracy uprising and an ex-PM.
Burma's government has begun releasing hundreds of prisoners, including many political detainees, pro-democracy activists say, as the country takes further steps towards political reform and ending its international isolation.
Burmese state radio and television said on Friday that 651 detainees were being freed to take part in "nation-building".
There was no official word on how many political prisoners would be included in the total, but among them was Sai Nyunt Lwin, 60, a prominent ethnic minority Shan politician, and Khin Nyunt, a former prime minister and military intelligence chief, a senior prison official said.
Min Ko Naing, the leader of a pro-democracy student uprising in 1988, and Shin Gambira, a well-known Buddhist monk who led 2007 street protests, were also reported to have been freed.
Witnesses said the charismatic student leader was greeted by a huge crowd as he left prison in Thayet, 545km north of Yangon.
The release of political prisoners could help pave the way for the lifting of economic sanctions by the European Union and the US following a flurry of reforms since Burma's civilian government was allowed to take power in March after almost half a century of military rule.
Some political prisoners have already been freed, media restrictions eased and the government has initiated a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi. On Thursday, the government signed a ceasefire with Karen rebels after decades of civil conflict.
Clinton welcomed the ceasefire agreement as a step to reaching national reconciliation.
"It is in that spirit that I urge the government to enter into meaningful dialogue with all ethnic groups to achieve national reconciliation, to allow news media and humanitarian groups access to ethnic areas." she said.
Last month, Clinton became the first US secretary of state to visit Burma in more than 50 years and said Washington stood ready to support reforms in the country and possibly lift sanctions.
The next major step in the reform process will be by-elections already announced by the government and set for April, in which our leader Aung San Suu Kyi and our party NLD will take part.
(Ref: www.aljazeera.com)
