WASHINGTON: The United States welcomed the creation of a committee to review and release Myanmar’s last remaining political prisoners.

After long denying their existence, the Myanmar regime has freed hundreds of political detainees since President Thein Sein took power in March 2011, and announced a review of all “politically concerned” cases in November.

On Thursday, state media said Thein Sein had established a committee to review political prisoner cases “to grant them liberty.”

“By establishing an inclusive, transparent review mechanism to ensure the release of all remaining political prisoners, the government has taken an important step toward national reconciliation,” US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement.

AFP