Five Political Prisoners Beaten and Held in Solitary Confinement in Kyaikmayaw Prison

July 24, 2024

HURFOM: On June 25, 2024, five political prisoners at Kyaikmayaw Central Prison in Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State, were brutally beaten by prison authorities and placed in solitary confinement.

The prisoners, Ko Lwin Way Aung, Ko Aung Zaw Min, Ko Nyi Nyi, Ko Zar Ni Aung, and Ko Nanda Lin Aung, were accused of using mobile phones in the prison. They were apprehended at night by Prison Chief Kyaw Zin Aung and twenty other prison staff. The detainees were beaten with rubber sticks and shot at with slingshots.

“The prison authorities did not provide a concrete reason for the arrest. They were forcefully taken away. Now, they are held in solitary confinement, banned from accepting parcels, and prohibited from meeting visitors,” said a former political prisoner.

The five prisoners have been charged under Burmese criminal acts #61 and #224, as reported by the Political Prisoner Network Myanmar (PPNM).

On June 15, approximately 150 political prisoners from Kyaikmayaw Central Prison were transferred to Dike Oo Prison in Bago Region. Reports indicate that female political prisoners were beaten and tortured at the new facility.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), from February 1, 2021, to July 18, 2024, around 27,085 individuals have been arbitrarily arrested by the junta, with 20,776 still detained. Arbitrary arrests, torture, and inhumane treatment have been rampant in prisons across the country. Organizations like the Political Prisoner Network Myanmar (PPNM) and the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) have continuously documented these human rights abuses, calling for international intervention and support for the victims.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News