Officials at two Myanmar prisons have been held for questioning on suspicion of allowing political detainees to use mobile phones to call outside contacts, according to prison sources.
The move comes amid reports of crackdowns on prisoners at both of the detention centres in question—Daik-U Prison in Bago Region and Myingyan Prison in Mandalay Region.
At least one official at Daik-U Prison—a junior officer named Myo Htike—is believed to have died while being interrogated, according to an unconfirmed report by Radio Free Asia.
A source close to the prison said that Myo Htike was one of eight prison officials, including the warden, who were being held in connection with the allegations.
The warden, Yan Naing Tun, and some of the other officials were reportedly questioned for their failure to detect Myo Htike’s activities.
“I don’t know about Myo Htike dying, but he was definitely questioned on suspicion of helping the political prisoners. It’s also possible that they’re doing this to cover up the recent killings of political prisoners,” the source said.
Earlier this week, it was reported that two political prisoners, Khant Lin Naing and Pyae Phyo Hein, were shot dead on June 27 for allegedly trying to escape while being transported from Daik-U Prison.
At least 37 inmates from the prison have “gone missing” from the prison in recent weeks, according to a statement released by the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners (AAPP) on Monday.
Sources close to the families of some of the victims have confirmed that at least four of the prisoners have died since being taken from the prison, while some reports say that as many as seven have been killed.
Meanwhile, at least eight officials from Myingyan Prison have also been detained in recent days for their alleged role in smuggling phones to prisoners, according to inside sources.
The sources confirmed that three accused prison staffers—Lt.-Cpl Rakhine Gyi, 45, Cpl. Nay Myo Thein, 40, and Cpl. Soe Thurein, 35—are currently being held inside the prison. It was unknown if the others, including the warden, were still in custody.
“I think Rakhine Gyi was framed. He’s an honest, straightforward guy who always helped the political prisoners wholeheartedly. But I don’t think he was involved in smuggling phones into the prison,” said one source who spoke to Myanmar Now.
In late May, 14 inmates of Myingyan Prison were tortured and placed in solitary confinement for possession of mobile phones, according to activist groups and sources close to the prisoners. At least one died during interrogation, the sources said.
Another Myingyan prisoner also died under suspicious circumstances on July 2, according to the AAPP. Relatives of the prisoner, Sein Win, said they were told the official cause of death was gastrointestinal bleeding, but according to his cellmates, he died shortly after undergoing interrogation.
On Wednesday’s Myanmar’s military junta announced through state media that it had appointed an army officer to head its Prison Department.
Myo Swe, the new director-general, replaces acting director-general Zaw Min, who was installed in the position on a temporary basis two days after the military seized power on February 1, 2021.
The European Union imposed sanctions on Zaw Min, who is accused of being responsible for the widespread beatings of political detainees in Myanmar’s prisons, in November 2022, at the same time as coup regime leader Min Aung Hlaing.