Myanmar prison inmates armed to serve as warden’s bodyguards

The warden of Mandalay’s Obo Prison, Thein Zaw Maung, is arming long-time convicts and using them as his personal bodyguards, according to a prison source. About 20 inmates of the prison, formally known as Mandalay Central Prison, have been given permission to carry weapons such as electric shock devices, slingshots, shields, and batons, the source said. The armed prisoners serve as bodyguards for Thein Zaw Maung when he is inspecting the detention centre, the source added. Two prisoners in particular—Aik Kywe and Pisi—are regarded as the warden’s trusted associates and are given special privileges, according to the source. Aik Kywe is reportedly serving a life sentence for murder, while Pisi is also a long-time convict. “They carry electric batons and follow the prison authorities around when they’re inside the prison. Even staff members aren’t permitted to carry these weapons, but these guys are allowed to,” said the source. Thein Zaw Maung enters the prison surrounded by the armed prisoners as well as two policemen carrying MA11 guns and prison staff equipped with tear gas canisters, according to the source. Obo Prison houses more than 10,000 prisoners, of whom at least 1,200 are political prisoners. Similar cases of trusted inmates being armed inside prisons have been reported elsewhere in Myanmar, including in Loikaw Prison in Karenni (Kayah) State and in Bhamo and Mohnyin prisons in Kachin State, according to a statement released by the Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM) on March 14. When Karenni resistance forces jointly launched an offensive on Loikaw in 2023, the junta re-armed imprisoned army and police deserters to fight back against the resistance forces, said PPNM member Thike Tun Oo. Additionally, in prisons in Bhamo and Mohnyin, some prisoners serving sentences for criminal offences have been armed and are being used to provide prison defence and to transport military weapons, according to PPNM. These prisoners are known to be serving sentences for criminal offences, including drug-related crimes and murder, but the detailed situation is still being investigated, said Thike Tun Oo. The Kachin Independence Army and allied forces have besieged Bhamo, in southern Kachin State, since late last year, and the junta has been responding with intense airstrikes.

Myanmar prison inmates armed to serve as warden’s bodyguards

Criminal prisoners at Mandalay’s Obo Prison have been entrusted with providing security for the prison’s warden during inspections, a source said

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