Denial of medical treatment caused 17 Myanmar political prisoners’ deaths in 2023

At least 17 political prisoners died in 2023 throughout Myanmar due to lack of access to adequate medical care, according to data collected by the Myanmar Political Prisoners Network. Four of the 17 deaths occurred within the past month. Soe Win, 68, serving a three-year sentence for incitement under Section 505a of Myanmar’s Penal Code, succumbed to cancer on December 12. Cherry Win, 23, was serving time in Insein Prison for a charge under Section 50j of the Counterterrorism Law—concerned with funding terrorists—when she died after suffering a fever for several days, according to a family friend. “She’d been sick for four days and they didn’t let her get any medical treatment,” the family friend said. “She was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital when they finally allowed her to go.” Cherry Win was a resident of Loikaw, Karenni State, and is said to have had relatives in the anti-junta armed resistance. She was arrested while attempting to leave the country, according to a source connected to Insein Prison. Myint Aye, 33, charged under Section 52a of the Counterterrorism Law on organising with or harbouring terrorists, died of a heart attack on December 12 at Thayarwaddy Prison in Bago Region. San Lin, who had been incarcerated at Pathein Prison under various murder and terrorism charges, died when authorities deprived him of adequate treatment for a head injury, according to Thaik Tun Oo, a leading member of the Myanmar Political Prisoners Network. “They had to die because of inadequate medical care and the military’s prohibition on relatives sending medicine to prisoners,” Thaik Tun Oo said. Thaik Tun Oo added that an increasing number of prisoners were suffering from illness due to the arrival of new prisoners during a change of seasons, as well as insufficient access to medications and overly long wait times for critical patients in need of emergency care. He also emphasised that some prisoners need their families to send them medications, which the military no longer allows. “Some of the prisoners are suffering from heart problems, some from AIDS,” Thaik Tun Oo said. “These people in particular need regular medication, but the prison authorities create delays and only deliver the medications to the prisoners several days after they’re needed. Prisoners also suffer psychological harm from the worry that their conditions will worsen while they’re unable to get treatment.” Illness and accidental injury were not the only causes of death among Myanmar’s political prisoners last year. Some prisoners were also fatally shot by authorities who later alleged that they had tried to escape. The military council has not made any public statements on the deaths of political prisoners. According to data collected by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), of the 25,656 arrested for political reasons since the military coup of 2021, 19,858 are still in prison. The monitoring organisation noted that the figures are based only on available, verified information and that the true numbers may be higher. The military banned family visits for more than three years on the pretext of safety due to the Covid-19 pandemic, only reinstating them in October of 2023. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the military has denied their requests to enter prisons and render necessary aid. However, the ICRC said they are continuing to work in Myanmar, and provided details for political prisoners’ families to contact their branch offices to request minor support, including reimbursement for transportation expenses to visit their loved ones.

Denial of medical treatment caused 17 Myanmar political prisoners’ deaths in 2023

Prison authorities refuse treatment, slow the delivery of necessary medications, and prohibit relatives from sending medicine and Red Cross personnel from aiding inmates

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