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The authorities in Burma have begun releasing prisoners including political detainees as part of an amnesty.A popular comedian and dissident, Zarganar, was among the first to be freed under the long-awaited measure.
He was arrested in 2008 after publicly criticising the response to Cyclone Nargis, which killed more than 140,000 people in Burma.
The government says more than 6,000 will be freed but it is unclear how many will be political detainees.
Only a few dozen were freed under a previous amnesty in May.
On Monday the US said if Burma showed concrete progress on issues like political prisoners, it would respond.
'We will match their steps with comparable steps,' said diplomat Kurt Campbell.
Western nations currently impose sanctions on Burma, and one of the key reasons is political prisoners.
Thought to number more than 2,000, they include journalists, pro-democracy activists, government critics, monks involved in anti-government protests in 2007 and members of Burma's ethnic groups fighting for greater autonomy.
'Nation-building'
Burma announced an amnesty of 15,000 prisoners in May 2011 and freed more than 7,000 in 2009 - but those moves were criticised by rights groups for failing to include political prisoners.
On Monday's Burma's new human rights commission called on the president to release 'prisoners of conscience'.
In an letter published in state media, the commission said those who did not 'pose a threat to the stability of state' should be freed to help with nation-building.
The commission of scholars and former bureaucrats was only set up last month, as part of a series of moves by the government to improve Burma's international reputation.
Burma held its first elections in two decades almost a year ago - polls which saw military rule replaced with a military-backed civilian-led government.
Since then the government has freed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and held dialogue with her.
But Nyan Win, a spokesman for Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, told the BBC that a prisoner release was not all that was needed.
'The release of political prisoners is just one of the barometers of the government's seriousness about a change to democracy,' he said.
'There should be other developments like media freedom, and the relaxation of censorship among other things.'
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He was arrested in 2008 after publicly criticising the response to Cyclone Nargis, which killed more than 140,000 people in Burma.
The government says more than 6,000 will be freed but it is unclear how many will be political detainees.
Only a few dozen were freed under a previous amnesty in May.
On Monday the US said if Burma showed concrete progress on issues like political prisoners, it would respond.
'We will match their steps with comparable steps,' said diplomat Kurt Campbell.
Western nations currently impose sanctions on Burma, and one of the key reasons is political prisoners.
Thought to number more than 2,000, they include journalists, pro-democracy activists, government critics, monks involved in anti-government protests in 2007 and members of Burma's ethnic groups fighting for greater autonomy.
'Nation-building'
Burma announced an amnesty of 15,000 prisoners in May 2011 and freed more than 7,000 in 2009 - but those moves were criticised by rights groups for failing to include political prisoners.
On Monday's Burma's new human rights commission called on the president to release 'prisoners of conscience'.
In an letter published in state media, the commission said those who did not 'pose a threat to the stability of state' should be freed to help with nation-building.
The commission of scholars and former bureaucrats was only set up last month, as part of a series of moves by the government to improve Burma's international reputation.
Burma held its first elections in two decades almost a year ago - polls which saw military rule replaced with a military-backed civilian-led government.
Since then the government has freed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and held dialogue with her.
But Nyan Win, a spokesman for Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, told the BBC that a prisoner release was not all that was needed.
'The release of political prisoners is just one of the barometers of the government's seriousness about a change to democracy,' he said.
'There should be other developments like media freedom, and the relaxation of censorship among other things.'
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