Myanmar has continued to implement reforms in the country, as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was due in the United States to meet with US President Barack Obama.
A spokesperson for Myanmar's opposition National League for Democracy party told Reuters that with the release of 514 detainees on Monday, it was hoped that all remaining political prisoners in the country had now been freed.
The move comes as new Information Minister Aung Kyi appointed a new council to replace the much criticised press watchdog agency in the country. The new council will now have less control over foreign publications in the country and will have reduced power in initiating criminal complaints against journalists.
The reforms come as democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi visits Washington on Monday to collect the Congressional Gold Medal, as well as meet with US President Barack Obama and Burmese diaspora groups across the country.
Meanwhile, Burmese President Thein Sein is also set to undertake a historic visit to the US, addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24th. Obama also waived visa restrictions on the President which allows him to travel freely during his visit, rather than be confined to a narrow area around the UN headquarters.
