Burmese state media announced today that 6,359 prisoners will be released tomorrow, although the number of those deemed to be ‘political’ prisoners that are included remains unclear.

A statement read out on MRTV 4 said that those released will be “of old age, suffering poor health and disability, whose moral behaviour has improved after serving an appropriate amount of time”.

It follows weeks of speculation about an impending amnesty, and a statement today from the government-backed National Human Rights Commission calling for “prisoners of conscience” to be freed.

A government source reportedly told AP that “some political detainees” would be included. Burma holds nearly 2,000 MPs, activists, journalists, monks and more behind bars, often in appalling conditions.