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On 21 October, at 10:30 am, two women were killed in an airstrike launched by Myanmar’s junta on Oakkan village, located in the western part of Kawlin Township, Sagaing Region. Kawlin Info, a local news monitoring group, confirmed that several other villagers were injured in the bombing.

“The bomb hit the centre of Oakkan village, resulting in the deaths of two women, with reports of injuries. Further details are still being gathered,” said an official from Kawlin Info Group.

Shortly after the initial attack, another airstrike occurred at 11:00 am in the western part of Kawlin.

Oakkan village is a thriving community, home to both local residents and people displaced by conflict in Kawlin town. The village serves as a hub where villagers and displaced individuals live and trade together.

“There has been no fighting in the area, so this is clearly an attack targeting civilians. Rescue teams are enroute, but we’re still awaiting further details,” said Ko Thae Gyi, head of the People-To-People Group, which assists refugees fleeing violence in western Kawlin.

While clashes between military forces and local defence groups have taken place in areas bordering Kawlin and Wuntho in recent days, the western part of Kawlin Township has remained conflict-free.

This attack comes less than a month after military forces carried out an airstrike on Oakkan village on 30 September, which resulted in the deaths of four people, injuries to others, and significant damage to homes.

Mizzima

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).

Mizzima

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Two women killed in airstrike on Oakkan village, Kawlin Township in northwest Myanmar

Political prisoner dies due to lack of adequate medical care in Myanmar’s Dawei Prison

Two women killed in airstrike on Oakkan village, Kawlin Township in northwest Myanmar

Political prisoner dies due to lack of adequate medical care in Myanmar’s Dawei Prison

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Two women killed in airstrike on Oakkan village, Kawlin Township in northwest Myanmar

Political prisoner dies due to lack of adequate medical care in Myanmar’s Dawei Prison

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