For Myanmar’s VIP prisoners, ‘hard labour’ means a life of ease

Myanmar’s labour camps have long had a reputation for being hell on earth for the country’s convicts, including its many political prisoners. For some more privileged detainees, however, conditions at these camps are far from what most would imagine. Since late last year, the junta that seized power nearly four years ago has purged a number of senior military officials for corruption. Among them are Lt-Gen Moe Myint Tun, a former member of the coup regime and protégé of its leader, Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, who was sacked for soliciting bribes; Maj-Gen Aung Lin Tun, the junta’s former deputy minister of defence, accused by China of involvement in online scam operations; and Maj-Gen Win Lwin, who served as head of the ministry’s directorate of ordnance until he was removed from his position for embezzlement. For their crimes, these generals are now serving time at two labour camps in Kin Thar, a village located about an hour’s drive north of Naypyitaw. In addition to labour camps, the area also has several other regime-operated facilities, including a tank unit, a weapons factory, and a military-run medical research centre. The camps in Kin Thar hold hundreds of prisoners, most of whom are forced to slave away day after day under grim conditions. For a handful of VIP convicts, however, the situation is very different. According to a former junta official familiar with the camps, high-status prisoners living within their confines are given numerous privileges, including private accommodation in buildings specially constructed for their comfort. “These buildings don’t look like much from the outside, but inside they are outfitted with air conditioning and other amenities. The generals who live in them can also enjoy fine food and the company of their families and guests,” the former official said. This is in stark contrast to the harsh reality of most who find themselves inside these so-called “production camps,” which exist all over Myanmar. There are a total of 48 around the country, and according to a report submitted to parliament in 2018, more than 5,000 prisoners died in them between 1978 and 2014. Prisoners working in Mandalay’s Htonebo labour camp in August 2022 (Myanmar Now) Maj-Gen Aung Lin Tun, who received a 10-year prison sentence from a military court in Naypyitaw in March, was sent to the Kin Thar 1 camp around four months ago, a source close to the case told Myanmar Now. Since then, he has lived there in a one-storey house built specially for him. “He can order any food or drink he desires at any time. It’s a pretty easy life,” said a source who works inside the camp. According to this source, Aung Lin Tun’s neighbour is none other than Lt-Gen Moe Myint Tun, who was handed a life sentence in October of last year for corruption, despite being a close confidante of Min Aung Hlaing. While corruption is nothing new in Myanmar’s military, which has had a stranglehold over the country’s economy for decades, some cases are so egregious that the junta has to at least appear to rein it in. But even then, it is careful not to reduce military men to the same level as other prisoners. “They were prosecuted out of necessity, out of a fear that they could expose others. But because they are part of the same inner circle, they receive special treatment, which could only happen with Min Aung Hlaing’s approval,” said the former junta official. Wealthy prisoners are also treated differently. By paying bribes to the authorities, they can not only avoid hard labour, but also live in some degree of comfort. Imprisoned generals, however, have no need to pay for their privileges. “This is typical of dictators. They temporarily restrain their own people when disagreements arise for whatever reason, but they will always protect them,” said Aung Myo Kyaw, spokesperson for the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. According to Zin Yaw, a Myanmar army captain who defected from the military a few months after the February 2021 coup, top generals know they have nothing to fear if they are caught lining their pockets or committing other crimes. “They don’t give it a second thought. For them, imprisonment is just for show. They live like royalty in prison, and it actually helps to ease their minds. When they’re in the army, they may have all kinds of headaches, but in prison they can really relax,” he said.

For Myanmar’s VIP prisoners, ‘hard labour’ means a life of ease

Despite their notoriety, Myanmar’s prison camps can be an easy place to serve time if you happen to be a member of the junta’s inner circle

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