( CNN ) -- Hundreds of prisoners in Myanmar have been granted their freedom , according to the state-run newspaper , just days before President Barack Obama is scheduled to become the first sitting U.S. head of state to visit the fledgling democracy . Myanmar 's President Thein Sein bestowed amnesty Thursday on 452 prisoners , both Myanmar citizens and foreigners , with plans to extradite the foreigners , The New Light of Myanmar reported . Read more : Myanmar leader holds landmark press briefing . The paper said Sein mandated the releases , in accord with the nation 's constitution and criminal code , `` on humanitarian grounds , for turning them into citizens who do their bits in nation-building tasks , realizing sympathy and good will of the state and for prolonging friendship with neighboring countries . '' Under Sein , the Myanmar government has released hundreds of political prisoners in the past year , part of a series of reforms that has followed decades of repressive military rule . Western governments have responded to the efforts by starting to ease sanctions put in place to pressure the military regime in the country formerly known as Burma . Read more : Before Obama visit , group warns ethnic violence could destabilize Myanmar . Obama 's visit , part of a four-day Asia trip from November 17-20 , follows the United States ' `` seeing ... signs of progress , '' and taking `` specific steps to recognize the government 's efforts and encourage further reform '' in the Southeast Asian nation , according to a White House blog post last week from Special Assistant to the President Samantha Power . Topics Obama and Sein will probably discuss include prisoners of conscience , political reforms , the rule of law , and peace and reconciliation , Power wrote . Read more : What a difference a year makes in Myanmar . Obama also plans on meeting with Nobel Peace Prize-winning democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi while in Myanmar , according to the White House news release . Suu Kyi , who spent the better part of two decades under house arrest for advocating for democracy in Myanmar , was elected to the Myanmar parliament this year , and she traveled to Washington earlier this year to accept the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal . Read more : Myanmar eases restrictions on news organizations . Obama 's arrival comes after months of turmoil in the western state of Rakhine , where tensions between the majority Buddhist community and the Rohingya , a stateless ethnic Muslim group , boiled over into clashes that have killed scores of people and left tens of thousands of others living in makeshift camps . As of Monday , citing government figures , the United Nations said at least 89 people have been killed in violence in Rakhine in recent weeks and 110,000 people are now displaced . The deaths come on top of dozens of others during clashes in May and June . CNN 's Kocha Olarn and Jethro Mullen contributed to this report .
452 prisoners released in Myanmar Thursday . U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Myanmar in a few days . Country formerly known as Burma has been undergoing democratic reforms . Buddhist-Muslim violence is causing tension in western Myanmar .