Political prisoner dies due to lack of adequate medical care in Myanmar’s Dawei Prison
The Political Prisoners Network of Dawei District has reported the death of a political prisoner, U Ye Aung (aka) Ko Chin, due to insufficient medical treatment while incarcerated in Dawei Prison, Tanintharyi Region.
U Ye Aung, aged 62, suffered a stroke while detained and was transferred to Dawei Hospital on 27 September after his condition worsened. Despite receiving treatment, he passed away on 17 October, according to a statement from the Political Prisoners Network.
A resident of Ohnpin Kwin village in Yebyu Township, Dawei District, U Ye Aung was serving a 10-year sentence under Sections 50 (j) and 52 (a) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
According to Ko Thaik Tun Oo, a member of the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar (PPNM), the lack of adequate healthcare facilities in district prisons has been a longstanding issue.
He highlighted that only central prisons are equipped with hospitals, while district prisons, like Dawei, have only small clinics with insufficient medical personnel to handle emergency cases.
“The healthcare system in prisons is in a dire state. Even central prisons do not have enough skilled doctors to provide proper care, and district prisons face even greater shortages. All prisoners should have access to the same level of medical care, but that’s not the reality,” he said.
The inadequate medical care in prisons has resulted in the deaths of 15 political prisoners in 2024 alone, including Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the former Chief Minister of Mandalay Region, according to data compiled by PPNM. The previous year, 17 political prisoners died due to similar reasons.
Since the military coup, a total of 27,563 people has been arrested on political charges as of 22 October, 2024, with 21,020 still in detention. Of those, 9,473 have been sentenced to prison, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
