Two journalists are among more than 7,000 prisoners being released under an amnesty announced by Burma’s junta on Thursday, news reports said.

According to the exiled Burmese news agency Mizzima News, the Burmese censorship board invited local and foreign journalists to come to the notorious Insein Prison for a press conference timed to coincide with the release of the prisoners.

“This should be welcome as good news, but I can’t find my enthusiastic to applause to the military junta for that action, “Mizzima Editor Sein Win told IPI by Email.  “This is indecent blackmail because they should never been in prison. They were helping to Nargis Cyclone victims who were looking for help from the INGOs in Rangoon.“

Mizzima News confirmed to IPI that Eint Khaing Oo, a journalist for Burma’s Ecovision newspaper, and freelance journalist Kyaw Kyaw Thant were released on Friday. Both were imprisoned on 10 June 2008, reportedly for taking a group of survivors of the May 2008 cyclone to the United Nations head offices in Yangon, AFP reported.

“We are happy that these two Burmese journalists have been freed,” said IPI Director David Dadge. “But our satisfaction is overshadowed by the fact that Burma still holds 12 journalists. The junta must immediately release all of these journalists and allow them to report freely and independently.”

Since the 2007 ‘Saffron Revolution’, the Burmese junta has been under international pressure, which further increased after an 11-month house arrest sentence was handed down to democracy leader San Suu Kyi in August this year. Observers believe that the prisoner amnesty was announced as an attempt to ease this pressure.

Of the 12 journalists imprisoned in Burma because of their reporting, most were jailed in a crackdown that followed the ‘Saffron Revolution.’

IPI has repeatedly protested against the unacceptable restrictions on independent reporting imposed by Burma.

In 2007, IPI honoured Mizzima News with its IPI Free Media Pioneer annual award, in recognition of the news agency’s efforts to provide accurate and timely news and information on Burma and raise awareness about the violations committed by the country’s government.