Mizzima News

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the Burmese junta's release of a handful of political prisoners on Tuesday, while calling on the country's military rulers to extend the same right to all those being held behind bars on grounds of political belief.

In a statement released yesterday, Ban voiced his support for the release of the seven political prisoners, including veteran journalist U Win Tin – imprisoned since 1989, as part of a general amnesty program on the part of the Burmese junta.

However, "The Secretary-General reiterates that all political prisoners should be released and that all citizens of Myanmar should be able to enjoy political freedoms, as necessary steps towards the process of national reconciliation and dialogue," the missive attributable to the Secretary General went on to say.

Ban also appeared to try and make use of the amnesty to bolster the mission of his Special Envoy to the country, Ibrahim Gambari.

Gambari's mission was roundly criticized by opposition factions and pro-democracy activists following his visit to the impoverished Southeast Asian country last month. Critics accused the embattled Special Envoy of ignoring his mandate and instead toeing the line of the junta's self-proclaimed "roadmap to democracy."

The statement noted that the issue of amnesty for Burma's 2,000 plus political prisoners was "one focus of discussion between the Secretary-General's Special Adviser, Mr. Ibrahim Gambari, and the Myanmar Government during his latest visit to Myanmar."

Yet, one political prisoner released earlier this week has already since been re-arrested. Captain Win Htein was again apprehended by authorities in northern Burma less than 24 hours after his release from custody.