October 10, 2024
The Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar (PPNM) has called on prison authorities to ensure sufficient healthcare for detainees and to stop restricting medication deliveries from families. The organization claims that a lack of adequate medical treatment and restrictions on family-sent medicines is tantamount to silently killing political prisoners.
According to PPNM, 30 political prisoners, including 11 male and 2 female detainees, have died in prison over the past two years due to a lack of medical treatment. PPNM’s records show that from January 1 to October 7, 2024 alone, 13 political prisoners (11 men and 2 women) died from inadequate medical care in prison.
One of those who died due to a lack of proper medical care was Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the former Mandalay Region Chief Minister, who was being held in Mandalay’s Obo Prison.
“There is not enough medical care being provided in prisons, and on top of that, the authorities are restricting medications sent by family members. This is equivalent to killing political prisoners silently,” PPNM leading committee member U Thaik Htun Oo told New Day Myanmar.
Since 2023, prison authorities have been limiting the delivery of medical supplies from family members, and access to external hospitals for critical patients has been severely restricted, resulting in the deaths of 17 political prisoners (15 men and 2 women) in 2023 alone.
To prevent further deaths due to insufficient healthcare, PPNM has called on prison authorities to:
- Accept and allow the full delivery of external medications provided by families.
- Ensure the availability of sufficient medicines within prison facilities.
- Provide adequate healthcare services to sick and injured detainees.
- Immediately transfer critical patients to external hospitals.
PPNM has also appealed to international bodies like the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UN member states, and ASEAN countries to pressure the junta and the prison authorities to implement these measures.
