My first reaction was; ‘I didn’t know that there were that many criminals in our country.’

Commentary: Prisoner releases are old news
Pascal Khoo-Thwe

Feb 23, 2009 (DVB)–The release of political prisoners in Burma announced by the Burmese regime on Friday is not news. They shouldn’t be there in the first place.

21 February. A snow storm hits Oslo. Burma’s military junta declares the release of 6313 ‘state’ prisoners ‘out of charity’. Neither of these events, in my opinion, is news.
The similarity between the two is that the events have occurred in their respective countries so often in the past that no local residents care. But the latter is manmade and it is impossible not to find it laughable but also depressing at the same time as the tragedy is preventable.
My first reaction was; ‘I didn’t know that there were that many criminals in our country.’ The State Peace and Development Council released 9002 prisoners in September 2008 and there were fewer than 10 political prisoners among them. This time around 20 political prisoners are released. Again, it is nothing new. There are more than 2000 political prisoners still languishing in jails throughout the country, away from their families. continue
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