By Sayar Ngaat / MPA
Prison authorities at Obo Prison in Mandalay Region are allegedly extorting money from the families of political prisoners by falsely claiming their loved ones are ill and require funds for medicine and other essentials, according to a family member of one detainee.
A source stated, “A prison staff member called and said the inmate was unwell and needed money for medicine. They also claimed other essential items had to be purchased and requested a money transfer. When I inquired further, it turned out to be a blatant lie.”
According to the family member, prison staff have been using the excuse of inmates suffering from diarrhea to extort money since the second week of January.
Reports indicate that the beans served in Obo Prison had a foul smell, but despite complaints from inmates, prison authorities made no improvements to the food. As a result, around 40 male and 25 female inmates, including political prisoners, suffered from diarrhea during that period.
Despite the outbreak, prison officials only provided each affected inmate with one pack of antidiarrheal medicine and one pack of rehydration salts, offering no further medical care.
Individuals sending care packages to prisoners say that extortion is common, with staff demanding money when delivering restricted items, a practice seen not just at Obo Prison but across Myanmar.
A regular sender of care packages explained, “They impose strict restrictions on what can be sent. But even if an item isn’t prohibited, the staff often demand money before allowing the parcel through.”
A former political prisoner who was released from Paungde Prison described staff extortion as an ongoing business with no way to report these fraudulent activities.
“Families from rural areas are simple and honest,” the source noted. “They don’t know much, so they give in to the prison staff’s demands. Sometimes, they even receive calls asking for money, only realizing they’ve been deceived when they see the inmate in court.”
Beyond prison staff extortion, activist groups warn that scammers outside the prison are also exploiting political prisoners’ families, using fake accounts to solicit money for supposed care packages.
The Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar (PPNM) reported on Dec.31, 2024, that 22 political prisoners died in Myanmar prisons last year due to inadequate healthcare.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), 28,444 people have been arrested since the military coup on February 1, 2021, with 21,722 still in detention as of Friday.
Editor – Ko San
Translator – Z
