The Pathein prison court has sentenced a total of 62 political prisoners to three additional years for protesting inside the facility, sources close to the prison authorities said.
One source said, “All 62 prisoners who participated in the protest were sentenced to three additional years under Section 42 for violating prison rules or causing disorder.”
Some family members confirmed that the political prisoners had protested in the prison in January this year and were sentenced to three additional years by a special court on 6 July.
The protest took place after authorities took eight political prisoners for interrogation on 5 January and returned seven of them with injuries the next day, while the other was missing, according to prison staff.
Authorities also imposed a six-month suspension of prison visits after the protest, making it difficult for prisoners to get food and medicine, said a recently released prisoner after serving his full sentence.
“The eight of them were put in solitary confinement for their alleged leadership roles. The others were put in iron shackles,” the former prisoner said.
After the protest, prison staff took two or three political prisoners out of their cells every night and tortured them, he added.
The political prisoners who participated in the protest were put in a cell measuring 40 feet and are only allowed to go out for about 30 minutes a day when they bathe, according to prison staff and sources close to the prison.
“Since this case, they have contacted their families by phone, demanding money for various reasons. They have asked most of their families for a certain amount of money if they don’t want to be transferred to other prisons,” said a person close to the families of the political prisoners.
The families of political prisoners and other sources claimed that Ko Wai Yan Phyo (a.k.a. Yarsu) – also a former member of the People’s Defence Forces (PDF) – was fatally shot by junta police and 64 others were injured during the riot in Pathein prison.
In addition, many of them, including Ko Me Gyi, Ko Phoe Lapyae, Ko Sithu Aung, and Ko Nyi Tun, were wounded by beatings from prison staff, while Ko Tun Win Naing had his teeth broken and his hearing impaired, and U Zaw Htike lost his hearing completely, according to sources close to the prison administration.
Sent by NMG.