Myanmar releases about 2,000 inmates, including three political prisoners.

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Myanmar on Friday freed about 2,000 inmates, including at least three political prisoners, to mark its Independence Day, officials and activists said.

"More than 2,000 prisoners were released today with 1,800 from Insein Prison in Yangon and another 230 from Mandalay prison," said Hla Maung Shwe, an adviser to President Thein Sein.

The presidential amnesty was granted to commemorate Independence Day on Saturday. Myanmar, formerly called Burma, was granted independence from Britain on January 4, 1948.

At least three of those released were political prisoners, said Bo Kyi, spokesman for the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), a non-governmental organization.

Thein Sein vowed to release all political prisoners by the end of 2013, but Bo Kyi said at least 40 remained in Myanmar jails.

Freeing political prisoners was one of the demands of Western democracies for lifting economic sanctions on the once-pariah state. Reform-minded Thein Sein has released about 2,000 political prisoners since coming to power in March 2011.

Most sanctions have already been dropped on Myanmar, which was under military rule from 1962 to 2010.

dpa