( CNN ) -- Nineteen political prisoners were released by the government of Myanmar over the weekend , the human rights group Amnesty International reported Tuesday . Protesters demand democracy for Myanmar at a demonstration in New Delhi , India earlier this month . Among those released was Ma Khin Khin Leh , who was serving a life sentence because her husband , a student activist , had helped plan a protest demonstration in Bago in July 1999 , according to Amnesty International USA 's Web blog . Authorities prevented the demonstration from taking place , but took the woman and her three-year-old daughter into custody after failing to find her husband , Amnesty International said . The child was released after five days but her mom , a 33-year-old school teacher , was sentenced to life in prison . `` Even by the normally harsh standards of 'justice ' meted out by Myanmar 's military government , the life sentence given to Ma Khin Khin Leh was extreme , '' the human rights organization said . She was designated one of Amnesty International USA 's priority cases . She was released with 18 others `` widely considered to be political prisoners , '' Amnesty International said . Myanmar 's military rulers have been widely condemned for their alleged human rights abuses . Pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has been confined in her home for 12 of the past 18 years . Her last house arrest began in 2003 and has been periodically renewed . In October 2007 , clashes erupted between pro-democracy demonstrators and government security forces . As many as 110 people are believed to have been killed in that crackdown , including 40 Buddhist monks . The protests were sparked by a huge fuel price increase imposed by the military government , and quickly escalated . Myanmar 's military junta said in mid-October that it had detained more than 2,900 people amid the clashes . In September 2008 , Amnesty International reported that Myanmar , also called Burma , had released seven dissidents , among them U Win Tin , a journalist and senior official in the opposition National League for Democracy who had been imprisoned for 19 years .
School teacher among 19 political prisoners freed in Myanmar , Amnesty International says . Aung San Suu Kyi sentenced to life in 2003 after her husband planned a protest . Burma 's military rulers are widely condemned for alleged human rights abuses . Pro-democracy leader Ma Khin Khin Leh still confined to home .