Burma's government says it will reduce the sentences of some prisoners on humanitarian grounds.

State television and radio announced Monday that President Thein Sein signed a clemency order to mark the country's 64th anniversary of independence.

The government said some death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment. Prison terms above 30 years will be reduced to 30 years, and those between 20 and 30 years will be cut to 20 years. Shorter sentences would be cut by a quarter.

It is notclear how many – if any – political prisoners will have their sentences reduced.