Washington, Sep 24 (DPA) The US called on Myanmar to release all political prisoners, but welcomed the freeing Tuesday of the longest-held dissident and thousands of others who had been locked up.US State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said the release of 76-year-old journalist U Win Tin, who had been held for nearly 20 years, was “long overdue, but a very positive development”.

U Win Tin was one of 9,002 prisoners released in a general amnesty.

Leading democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for years, should also be freed, Wood said.

“We continue to call on the Burmese (Myanmar) regime to release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and to move the country down the path toward democracy,” Wood said.