Low-ranking prison staff at Mandalay’s Obo Prison are beating and torturing political prisoners, denying them medical treatment, and extorting money from their families, according to a statement by the Justice Network for Political Prisoners (JNPP) and its spokesperson, Ma Yu Mi San.
JNPP released a statement 27 August stating that from the 2021 military coup until early 2026, over 4,000 male and female political prisoners have been detained in Obo Prison, where they are being deprived of their basic human rights.
Upon their arrival at the prison, those charged under Sections 52(a) and 50(j) of the Counter-Terrorism Law are beaten by sergeants and lower-ranking staff, while female prisoners are placed in solitary confinement, according to the JNPP.
“As soon as political prisoners, both men and women, arrive at the prison, they are asked about their charges. If they say ’52-A’ or ’50-J’, they are accused of supporting or being associated with terrorists, and are subjected to various forms of abuse, torture, beatings, and forced punitive drills,” Ma Yu Mi San, the spokesperson of JNPP, told Mizzima.
Furthermore, some prison staff contact the families of political prisoners via phone and Viber, demanding up to hundreds of thousands of kyats under the false pretences of arranging hospital visits or ensuring more comfortable living conditions for them inside the prison, Ma Yu Mi San added.
Although families transfer the money, they only find out during prison visits that the prisoners themselves had never requested any funds.
Regarding healthcare inside the prison, she explained that only minimal amounts of painkillers and antibiotics, such as Diclo (diclofenac), Amoxicillin, and Burmeton (antihistamine), are provided for all kinds of illnesses. Consequently, detained political prisoner doctors have to treat their fellow inmates using medicines collected through donations.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) pointed out that such financial scams targeting families and the denial of medical treatment are not isolated to Obo Prison, but are systematically committed in prisons across the country.
“We cannot focus on Obo Prison alone. Prisons use various methods to extort money from the families of political prisoners. In some prisons, they demand money, promising to keep prisoners in the hospital ward. Since staying in the hospital offers a more comfortable environment, people end up paying, but this is highly inappropriate for political prisoners,” Ko Aung Myo Kyaw, an official from AAPP, told Mizzima.
He further stated that the prison authorities must take full responsibility for the healthcare of political prisoners, and families should not have to bear these expenses.
“It is absolutely unacceptable for prisons to demand money when a sick prisoner needs hospital or clinical care. However, we hear about such cases in most prisons. Families who cannot afford it do not even get medical treatment. Prisoners just have to support each other, and many have lost their lives because of this. These acts are intentionally committed against political prisoners by prison authorities who act as the henchmen of the military junta. All responsible individuals must be held accountable and punished for these violations,” Ko Aung Myo Kyaw commented.
In addition, the JNPP reported that food provided in Obo Prison consists of mushy rice mixed with husks. Furthermore, even when the upper floor of a building cracked during an earthquake, prisoners were not evacuated to safety and were left in the hazardous structure.
JNPP confirmed that the information regarding prison conditions was verified based primarily on first-hand testimonies of political prisoners who were released in April 2026.
The JNPP stated that they investigated and exposed these lawless abuses and financial scams by prison staff to raise awareness both locally and internationally. They will continue to submit this evidence to international bodies and allied organizations to ensure perpetrators are held accountable in the future.
Since the military coup in February 2021 up to 27 August 2026, a total of 31,838 people have been arrested, of whom 14,751 remain in detention, according to records updated by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) as of July 27.
Mizzima