An interview with Ko Thaik Tun Oo, a leading committee member of Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar (PPNM), about the human rights violations in junta-controlled prisons, health care, and family visits to prisoners.
The junta’s military coup, which began on 1 February 2021 entered its fourth year in February 2025. The military council has continuously arrested and killed anti-coup protesters, subsequently imprisoning them in facilities across the country. Within these prisons, the military council is committing severe human rights violations.
Development Media Group (DMG) interviewed Ko Thaik Tun Oo, a leading committee member of PPNM, about the military council’s violations of human rights against prisoners, healthcare conditions, and family visits to prisons.
Q: Please explain the current situation of prisoners in all the prisons across the country.
A: Since the coup, the junta has carried out a systematic mechanism of oppression against political prisoners in prisons Similar to how the Nazis treated the Jewish people during World War II, political prisoners today are facing oppression from the military junta. They face mistreatment from prison officials who support the regime and are part of its apparatus, all due to their differing political beliefs.
Q: What is the situation regarding prison visits?
A: Prison visitations are generally allowed once a month. However, in some prisons, visitations have been restricted due to security concerns. In areas with high military tensions, such as certain states, visitations have been completely banned. In 2024, prisons like Loikaw and Shwebo were not allowing visits. As of February 2025, visitations have resumed at Shwebo Prison, but there is still no update on whether visits are permitted at Loikaw Prison.
Q: What is the current situation regarding the healthcare of prisoners?
A: In prison, regardless of the illness, inmates are typically only provided with a single type of medication, known as “paracetamol.” Even in central prisons, the number of doctors is very limited, and in smaller prisons, there are many that lack doctors altogether. As a result, due to the delayed arrival of doctors in emergency situations, restrictions on medications sent by family members, and the fact that prisoners do not receive the full extent of the medications, the number of deaths among political prisoners has increased. In a year, the number of political prisoners who die is typically between 20 and 30. These are extremely tragic deaths. In 2024 alone, at least 35 people died in prison due to a lack of adequate healthcare.
Q: It is reported that prisoners in Pathein Prison are facing severe human rights violations. Can you provide more details about these situations?
A: The Pathein prison has become a place where political prisoners, including those transferred from Sittwe prison, as well as other criminals, are all being held together. So, in a prison that typically holds around 60 people, the current situation is that there are between 80 and 100 inmates. In this situation, prisoners are facing discomfort and difficulties, from sleeping to getting food.
Now the prison security is tightened. They are making necessary preparations such as the digging of trenches and bunkers, around the prison, with the concern that a war could break out. Because the prison authorities have restricted the parcels sent by families, the situation inside the prisons has become even more difficult.
Q: What is your view on the violation of prisoners’ legal rights in this situation?
A: Since the coup, all the laws in Myanmar, including the Jail Manual, have only changed remaining as written texts on paper. Currently, all prison laws are no longer in force. Therefore, the violation of the rights of the prisoners in the prison has increased.
Q: How weak has it been in terms of speaking out about the human rights violations by prisoners?
A: Although we constantly monitor the human rights violations of prisoners, it has become a bit more challenging due to tight security measures and prison authorities taking actions to prevent prison news from spreading outside. However, it is not yet a state of weakness. There are just situations that make it somewhat challenging.
Q: What actions is PPNM taking in relation to the human rights violations faced by prisoners?
A: We always monitor and document the violations of human rights faced by prisoners. We release some data and keep some data. We meet relevant organizations and send data to them.
Q: What do you want to comment on the actions of the military council in prison?
A: Since the coup on 1 February 2021, the military council has been carrying out terrorist acts. It is an organization that has been committing inhumane killings against peaceful protestors. Therefore, the political prisoners currently in prison not only lose their right to life but are also in situations created by the military junta where they could be executed at any time. As a result, these political prisoners are losing without any guarantee of their right to life.
Therefore, what we want to emphasize is that the military junta must quickly face charges within a system of justice and transfer power from the military to a government elected by the people without delay. Additionally, we urge that the prison authorities be held accountable for the crimes they have committed under a people’s justice system.
Q: What is your view on the military council’s violation of human rights and the action of the international community?
A: Given the current situation, the international community has yet to effectively implement a plan to cut jet fuel, and the focus on prisons has become even more restricted. Therefore, we urge the international community to intensify its attention on Myanmar’s crisis and not overlook the political prisoners in the country’s prisons as a critical part of the issue.
Q: What would you like to add about the situations of prisoners?
A: Political prisoners are facing many difficulties inside the prisons. Likewise, the people of Myanmar outside the prisons are also grappling with a range of challenges. As the imprisoned comrades endure greater hardships than those outside the prisons, we urge everyone to offer their support in any way possible and to stay informed about the news coming from within the prisons.
Sent by Aung Htein (DMG)
