International human rights advocates have welcomed Burma's reported release of 249 political prisoners, but are urging the government to do more.
There are unconfirmed reports that journalist Win Tin, Burma's longest-serving prisoner of conscience, was among those released Wednesday.
But there is no indication that pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi would be freed from house arrest.
The international human rights group Amnesty International welcomed the news of the prisoner release, but called on the military junta to immediately free all prisoners of conscience.
The Committee to Protect Journalists also urged Burma to release all imprisoned journalists who remain behind bars.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan agreed and repeated his call for the reopening of the offices of the National League for Democracy.
Burma's military junta, which hopes to take over the rotating chairmanship of the regional bloc ASEAN next year, has been under increasing international pressure to improve its human rights record.
Information for this report is provided by AP.
