15 female political prisoners punished for protest marking Myanmar coup anniversary

A five-minute protest inside Kalay Prison in Sagaing Region on Sunday has landed 15 female political prisoners in solitary confinement, according to groups monitoring the situation. Around 200 prisoners, including many held for non-political offences, took part in the protest marking the fifth anniversary of the February 1, 2021, military coup, the groups said. “They sang [Thway Thitsar] and shouted their demands, and then were immediately put in solitary confinement,” said an official from the Kalay People’s Strike Steering Committee (KPSSC), referring to a political anthem sung at many anti-coup protests. The women, who were also reportedly beaten, have been placed in small cells with little or no light or ventilation for their role in leading the protest, the official added. Further details of their treatment were not available due to limited phone and internet access in the area, he said. In a statement, the KPSSC identified the leader of the protest as Khin Nwe Hlaing, from Paungbyin Township in Sagaing Region. The group said the protesters demanded that the regime revoke sentences on prisoners charged under anti-terror laws commonly used to suppress dissent. If these demands were not met, they said, political prisoners in other prisons would join their protests. Prison protests are dealt with harshly in Myanmar. Those taking part are often subjected to torture resulting in serious injury or death. Kalay Prison authorities did not respond to requests for information about the latest crackdown on prisoners. In 2022, nine inmates were killed after attempting to escape from Kalay Prison, and nearly 30 others were forced to remain shackled in solitary confinement for the next two years. Thike Tun Oo, an official from the Political Prisoners Network—Myanmar, told Myanmar Now that his group is also monitoring the current situation at the prison. “What is significant is that female criminal convicts also participated, making the movement stronger,” he said.

15 female political prisoners punished for protest marking Myanmar coup anniversary

Around 200 women detained at Kalay Prison in Sagaing Region, including regular convicts, took part in the protest

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