Burma's military junta has freed well-known journalist and key opposition figure U Win Tin and other prominent political figures in a mass release of prisoners.
The ailing 74-year-old prize-winning writer, a member of the National League for Democracy headed by Aung San Suu Kyi, has spent the last 15 years in prison.
Also freed were three NLD Members of Parliament Major Kyaw San, Ohn Maung, and Toe Bo and two other NLD members, Aung Zin and Khun Sai.
The junta announced Thursday evening that it would release 3,937 people who may have been wrongfully jailed by the recently disbanded National Intelligence Bureau.
General Khin Nyunt, the prime minister purged in mid-October, headed the feared NIB. He has been charged with corruption.
Some information for this report provided by AFP.