By Xinhua
Yangon : Myanmar has granted amnesty to 8,585 prisoners as a gesture to mark the beginning of drafting a new state constitution, state media reported Tuesday.
The move also marks domestic national reconsolidation efforts and the country’s cooperation with the international community including the UN, said the New Light of Myanmar daily Tuesday.
The prisoners, who were released between Nov 16 and Dec 3, included 33 Thai nationals.
Work began Monday to undertake the drafting of a new state constitution in line with the detailed basic principles adopted in the national convention which ended Sep 3.
The new constitution draft is to be endorsed through a national referendum, and then a general election will follow to elect representatives to the parliament and form a new democratic government.