Myanmar prisoner term cuts disappointing: US
WASHINGTON — The United States said Tuesday that Myanmar's decision to cut prison terms for detainees fell short of what Washington expects to reward reforms undertaken by the army-backed regime.
"Even one political prisoner is one political prisoner too many," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, underscoring points US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made during a landmark visit to Myanmar last month.
"We remain concerned about the more than a thousand political prisoners that remain in custody," Nuland told reporters.
"We will continue to make the case to the government in Naypyidaw that it is a full political prisoner release that the international community wants to see," Nuland said.
"It's not a step of the magnitude that we would be interested in matching," she added.
During her visit at the start of December, Clinton said the United States will not end sanctions against Myanmar until its leaders carry out broader democratic reforms.
Myanmar's political prisoners include former student protesters, monks, journalists and lawyers and their fate is a key concern of the international community.
Under the order, death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment, jail terms above 30 years will be reduced to 30 years, those between 20 and 30 years will be cut to 20 years and shorter sentences will be cut by a quarter.
Most high-profile dissidents, like those from a failed 1988 student uprising, are serving decades behind bars so would have little hope of freedom as a result of the order, which was made to honor Independence Day on Wednesday.
A government official told AFP that it was still unclear how many inmates would be freed, but about 800 men and 130 women held in Yangon were set to be released.
Nyan Win, spokesman for Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, said it was not yet clear whether any of the party's imprisoned members would be released as a result of the move.
At the beginning of December Clinton became the top US official in more than 50 years to visit Myanmar as she sought to encourage reforms by the government which has opened talks with the opposition and ethnic minorities.
"Even one political prisoner is one political prisoner too many," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, underscoring points US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made during a landmark visit to Myanmar last month.
"We remain concerned about the more than a thousand political prisoners that remain in custody," Nuland told reporters.
"We will continue to make the case to the government in Naypyidaw that it is a full political prisoner release that the international community wants to see," Nuland said.
"It's not a step of the magnitude that we would be interested in matching," she added.
During her visit at the start of December, Clinton said the United States will not end sanctions against Myanmar until its leaders carry out broader democratic reforms.
Myanmar's political prisoners include former student protesters, monks, journalists and lawyers and their fate is a key concern of the international community.
Under the order, death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment, jail terms above 30 years will be reduced to 30 years, those between 20 and 30 years will be cut to 20 years and shorter sentences will be cut by a quarter.
Most high-profile dissidents, like those from a failed 1988 student uprising, are serving decades behind bars so would have little hope of freedom as a result of the order, which was made to honor Independence Day on Wednesday.
A government official told AFP that it was still unclear how many inmates would be freed, but about 800 men and 130 women held in Yangon were set to be released.
Nyan Win, spokesman for Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, said it was not yet clear whether any of the party's imprisoned members would be released as a result of the move.
At the beginning of December Clinton became the top US official in more than 50 years to visit Myanmar as she sought to encourage reforms by the government which has opened talks with the opposition and ethnic minorities.
