U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon applauded the release of 73 political prisoners by the Myanmar government, Tuesday and urged the South East Asian country to keep walking towards a more democratic country.
The release of 73 political prisoners came just days after Myanmar President, Thein Sein promised to free all the dissidents by end of 2013, during a European tour.
"I guarantee to you that by the end of this year there will be no prisoners of conscience in Myanmar," President Thein Sein addressed an audience at the Chatham House think-tank in London.
"We are aiming for nothing less than a transition from half a century of military rule and authoritarianism to democracy," said Thein Sein. "By the end of the year there will be no prisoners of conscience in Myanmar."
In a statement through his office, Ban Ki-moon acknowledged the country for accelerating its reform agenda.
"He hopes that these and other measures undertaken recently in the country's transition to democracy will further strengthen efforts toward a comprehensive nationwide cease-fire and national reconciliation in Myanmar," said the statement.
After winning the presidential election, the former military general had introduced several reforms in the country. Thein Sein even said he had no objections against the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi to contest for the 2015 presidential election. He also added that he was not planning on contending for the post.
However, the president made it clear that it is up to the parliament to allow her to contest for the election.
The country's 2008 constitution bans anyone whose spouse or children have foreign citizenship from standing in the presidential elections. The clause is clearly aimed at stopping the Nobel peace prize laureate, Suu Kyi, from participating in the presidential elections as her two sons with her late British husband hold U.K. citizenship.
