Myanmar to release thousands from jail

Myanmar announced it was releasing 6,300 prisoners in a widely expected amnesty by the newly elected government, but it was not clear how many of them were political detainees. But the news came hours after Burma''s new human rights body called for the release of "prisoners of conscience" who did not threaten state stability. The US said if Burma showed concrete progress on issues like political prisoners, it would respond. Western nations currently impose sanctions on Burma, and one of the key reasons is political prisoners. Thought to number more than 2,000, they include journalists, pro-democracy activists, government critics, monks involved in anti-government protests in 2007 and members of Burma''s ethnic groups fighting for greater autonomy.