YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar’s government said Monday that it was releasing more than 500 prisoners, the latest in a series of amnesties by President Thein Sein’s administration.  An announcement on the president’s Web site said 514 prisoners had been released as a show of “the love and sympathy of the state.”  The announcement did not include the names of the prisoners, but Reuters quoted a source from the largest opposition party as saying that many of those released were political prisoners.  The announcement may have been timed to coincide with Mr. Thein Sein’s visit next week to the United States, where he plans to address the United Nations General Assembly. The president’s Web site and state television said the prisoner release was being conducted in part to “obtain good relations with neighboring and foreign countries.” Some of those released are foreign citizens, state television said.  Washington has rescinded travel restrictions on Mr. Thein Sein but his administration is also seeking the lifting of a ban on imports from Myanmar, one of the last major punitive measures that the United States has in place.  Also visiting the United States is Myanmar’s opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is scheduled to receive a Congressional medal on Wednesday. She will also travel to New York, Kentucky, Indiana and California.  Since taking over from a military government in March last year, Mr. Thein Sein’s civilian administration has released more than 600 political prisoners.  Before news of the prisoner release on Monday, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an organization based in Thailand that tracks political prisoners, estimated that 400 political prisoners remained under detention. U Bo Kyi, one of the founders of the organization, said by telephone that he could not confirm how many of those released on Monday were political prisoners.  But in a measure of the continued difficulties for dissidents in Myanmar, some of those released in previous amnesties have been denied passports. Human Rights Watch said Monday that at least 19 former student activists’ applications for passports had been turned down.
The government said it had released 514 prisoners, many of whom were reported to have been political prisoners.