The junta’s prison authorities beat the political prisoners under the pretext of a quarrel while playing football inside the Insein Prison in Yangon, and 4 political prisoners were reportedly kept in solitary confinement without medical treatment.
The Political Prisoners Network of Myanmar (PPNM) reported that the prison staff and Tan See (the head prisoner of a cell block) came into the football playing area and beat the prisoners because of a quarrel while playing football inside the Insein Prison at 8:00 a.m. on February 28.
Then, a total of more than 10 prison staff and Tan See beat again those prisoners in front of the Prison Authority Office, reportedly suffering a broken back and facial injuries.
“The prison authorities and Tan See (the head prisoner of a cell block) entered the football field and beat prisoners, reasoning an argument among prisoners. They did not touch other prisoners and beat only political prisoners on purpose. They also beat those political prisoners along the way with many injuries. Sometimes there are small fights in football matches. It is normal. So, they (authorities) should not intervene and beat political prisoners without properly resolving such issues,” Ko Theik Tun Oo, a member of the PPNM.
Ko Htet, Ko Htwe Lay, Ko Myat Noe Maung (b) Ko Ar Noe, and Ko Thaw Zin Oo _ among those prisoners beaten _ were shackled and beaten along the main jail way and were isolated at 3 p.m. in the evening.
“Only those 4 prisoners were taken out and beaten. They were severely beaten. Only those 4 were shackled and isolated on the pretext of fighting in the prison,” he said.
Those political prisoners beaten were seriously injured, but they were not allowed to receive medical treatment and the prison visits were blocked, he said.
A former Yangon-based political prisoner said that a list of prison authorities and Tan See who intentionally oppressed political prisoners in prisons during the Spring Revolution should be compiled.
“The prison staff and Tan See who have a position in the prison administration want to oppress with enmity political prisoners even among prisoners in every times. After the Spring Revolution, we need to take effective action against such prison staff. We need to record which prisons are oppressing prisoners and let the prison authorities know that we will take action at some point,” he said.
More than 30 political prisoners inside Insein prison were beaten and isolated on November 2023, according to the report of the Political Prisoners Network of Myanmar (PPNM).