By Sayar Ngaat/ MPA
The military junta has been threatening families of political prisoners in custody, warning them against sharing information about deaths in prisons on social media, according to organizations advocating for the welfare of political prisoners.
Ko Thike Htun Oo, a leading committee member of the Political Prisoner Network (Myanmar), said that the military council is using threats to silence families of deceased political prisoners in an effort to divert public attention from deaths occurring in custody.
“Whenever a death occurs, families of the deceased are threatened with punitive actions if they share the information on social media,” Ko Thike Htun Oo said.
“As a result, many family members are too afraid to speak out or inform others about the deaths. This is a deliberate attempt to suppress information, as the authorities fear public awareness and backlash.”
He further emphasized that the junta’s suppression of information about these deaths is a violation of human rights and stressed the importance of thorough investigations into such incidents.
On Dec.31, 2024, the Political Prisoner Network (Myanmar) reported that 22 political prisoners, including three women, 18 men, and one LGBT individual, had died in various prisons across Myanmar in 2024.
The deaths were attributed to a lack of adequate healthcare services, though the organization noted the actual number could be higher due to limited access to accurate data.
A representative from the Women’s Organization of Political Prisoners highlighted the severe human rights violations occurring inside prisons, especially against women.
“The violations inside the prisons are so severe they defy description. Despite the military’s attempts to cover up these incidents, we remain committed to seeking justice for political prisoners,” the representative stated.
She also described routine abuses carried out by prison authorities, including frequent searches under the pretext of finding illegal items, which often lead to beatings and solitary confinement.
One such incident occurred on June 15, 2024, at Daik-U Prison, where authorities violently attacked female political prisoners. Acts of violence included firing guns inside cells, physical assaults, and using bricks and slingshots against detainees.
A recently released political prisoner from Obo Prison detailed the harsh conditions, saying, “We were given just enough food to survive, with no concern for health. Speaking out resulted in beatings, and sharing information about prison conditions led to solitary confinement. It was truly a living hell.”
According to data from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), from Feb.1, 2021, to Jan.17, 2025, a total of 28,261 individuals have been arrested across Myanmar, with 21,522 still detained in prisons.