YANGON (AP) ― Myanmar freed many of its most prominent political prisoners Friday in a long-awaited step toward national reconciliation that also has been a key condition set by Western nations for easing sanctions against the country.

The releases of several political activists and ethnic minority leaders, confirmed by their relatives, were part of a presidential pardon for 651 detainees who Myanmar state radio and television said would take part in “nation-building.”

It was the latest in a flurry of reforms by the new, nominally civilian government as it seeks international legitimacy after years of military repression.

The government also has launched a dialogue with pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and on Thursday signed a cease-fire in a decades-long insurgency by ethnic Karen rebels ― both key conditions for better ties with the West.

The prisoner releases appeared to have gone most, if not all, of the way toward meeting demands by Western nations such as the United States and Britain for a broad political amnesty, and will put strong pressure on the West to lift sanctions soon.

However, the number of political prisoners who may still remain behind bars will likely take several days to account for, especially since different groups maintain different lists of such detainees.

Those freed Friday included Min Ko Naing, a nearly legendary student leader from Myanmar’s failed 1988 pro-democracy uprising.