Family says body of political prisoner who died after delayed treatment not returned

A political prisoner serving a 164-year sentence in Mandalay’s Obo Prison died this week after being denied adequate medical care, and his body was not returned to relatives before his cremation, according to a source close to the family. Hlaing Bwar, 42, died at 10:52pm on Monday, a day after his transfer to an outside hospital following months of repeated requests that were refused until his condition became critical, the source told Myanmar Now. According to the source, prison authorities informed the family on Wednesday morning that Hlaing Bwar’s body would be taken directly to Kyar Ni Kan Cemetery, where only around 20 people, including relatives and Buddhist monks, were permitted to attend the cremation ceremony. Hlaing Bwar, a native of Mandalay, was a member of Myanmar’s ousted ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), who had participated in anti-coup protests in 2021. He was arrested in August 2023 and subsequently convicted on multiple charges under the country’s Counter-Terrorism Law and handed prison terms totalling 164 years. According to the family source, Hlaing Bwar was healthy when he was arrested but later developed cirrhosis of the liver while in prison. His condition reportedly began to worsen in May, but requests for care outside of the hospital were not approved until July 19, the source said. Former prisoners who have been detained in Obo Prison since the coup say that the quality of healthcare there has dramatically deteriorated under the current regime. “No matter what illness you report, all they ever give you is paracetamol. There are no medicines for major conditions, nor are there any doctors,” said one recently released political prisoner. He added that inmates frequently had to pay bribes to obtain treatment within the prison or secure transfers to outside hospitals. Rights groups have repeatedly accused Myanmar’s military authorities of denying adequate healthcare to political detainees and subjecting prisoners to abusive conditions. The regime has rejected allegations of systematic human rights abuses. The death of Hlaing Bwar follows other cases involving detained NLD members. In October 2024, former Mandalay Region Chief Minister Dr. Zaw Myint Maung died shortly after being released from prison while suffering from leukaemia. His family and NLD officials accused authorities of failing to provide adequate medical care during his detention. The Human Rights Documentation Team of the NLD said in a March 4 statement that 149 elected lawmakers and 2,880 NLD members had been arrested during more than five years of military rule. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, Myanmar’s military has arrested 31,542 people for opposing its rule since seizing power, of whom 14,583 remained in detention as of July 21.

Family says body of political prisoner who died after delayed treatment not returned

NLD member Hlaing Bwar was repeatedly denied permission to receive treatment outside Mandalay’s Obo Prison until a day before his death on Monday

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