United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma Tomás Ojea Quintana has welcomed the release of 44 political prisoners, which were released by the Burma government on Wednesday. Quintana said, “When I look back to the start of my mandate in 2008, I was referring to figures of over 1,900 persons detained on political grounds. It is important to acknowledge the significance of the progress that has been made: today we are referring to figures of less than 50.” He added, “The releases today are a step towards this, but need to be accompanied by legislative reforms.”