Myanmar’s Prison Department has released more than 6000 prisoners from prisons around the country. The list includes 300 political prisoners.

Several high profile prisoners are featured on the list, like the comedian Zargana who was jailed as a critic of the regime for helping distribute food in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. Shin Gambira, a monk who led street protests in 2007 against the military regime, has also been set free, after serving four years of his 68-year sentence.

The move directly opposes the government's past claims that there were no political prisoners in the country, and that all the people serving time were just “common criminals”.

According to figures from the Thai based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma, there are 1,998 political prisoners in 42 prisons and 109 labour camps across Burma.

The release of political prisoners – many of them pro-democracy campaigners, journalists, lawyers and activists - has long been a top demand of Western nations that have imposed sanctions on Burma (or Myanmar).

A mystery
The actions of the Burmese government have long been a mystery to outside observers.

Sudden internal coups and purges, an almost overnight decision to abandon the established capital of Yangon and create a new one in Napidaw in the jungles of central Burma, the low visibility of the former power brokers of the junta and the intensely secretive nature of its reclusive leader Than Shwe, have all contributed to Burma being one of the most closed and impenetrable governments on the planet.

Generals without uniforms
There were few expectations that the “democratically elected” government voted into power during the 2010 elections would be much more than window dressing.  A host of generals scurried to resign their commissions so they could run as candidates. Many were duly placed in important positions, and the general feeling was that though a few uniforms were shed, nothing had really changed.

But observers are wondering if a thaw is in progress. 

It wasn’t all that long ago that the young journalist Hla Hla Win was sentenced to 27 years of prison for a breach of the Electronics Act. Yet a young journalist speaking from inside Burma confirms that the general atmosphere for media is a lot better than it used to be. 

Aung San Suu Kyi
“A couple of years ago, you couldn’t even mention the name Aung San Suu Kyi (the iconic Burmese pro democracy opposition leader and Nobel Laureate), and now interviews with her are published in the papers, even articles she’s written herself,” the journalist - who spoke to RNW on condition of anonimity - says. 

Perhaps the situation is not yet good enough to for critical journalists to be mentioned by name, but it could be a step in the good direction.  

Twilight
The Burma Centre Netherlands agrees. One of their staff confirmed that indeed the darkness of the previously tightly censored media had been pierced.  “You can say it’s a kind of a twilight, but we don’t really know how far it will extend.”

Last week the Burmese government suspended a controversial but major dam project backed by China - a rare concession.

Why there is such a seemingly fast turn-around on the part of a government that has never before been seen to pander to pressure, is a key question, but one that is not really being asked right now.  Perhaps people are afraid of breaking the spell, or jinxing the first positive moves to come out of one of the world’s most brutal and intransigent regimes.

And to what extent will the thaw continue? No one can dare to guess, but we’re all holding our breath.