Around 30 political prisoners incarcerated in Kalay, Sagaing Region, have been held in solitary confinement for nearly two years, during which time they had their feet shackled, according to sources close to the individuals.
Some 28 inmates in Kalay Prison were isolated and had their ankles chained together after a failed breakout attempt in March 2022. While they were still separated from the other prisoners at the time of reporting, their cuffs were removed earlier this month, an official in the Political Prisoners’ Network-Myanmar (PPN-M)—a local volunteer group supporting the welfare of political detainees—told Myanmar Now.
“Getting your feet cuffed, even for a week, can cause so many injuries as the rusted metal rubs against you every time you walk, so they all have major infected wounds,” said the official, Thaik Tun Oo.
Seven prisoners were killed and 12 were injured during the quashed prison break, the junta said in a statement. The military also claimed that 50 inmates held three prison wardens hostage.
According to Thaik Tun Oo and PPN-M, nine detainees were killed in the crackdown.
Following the incident, 28 political prisoners were separated from the other prisoners; only five—J Nyi Nyi Maung, Arkar Min, Kyaw Lin Maung, Aung Thu Lin, and Ye Lwin Soe—could be identified.
The named individuals are serving sentences ranging from 14 to 16 years for charges related to terrorism, incitement, and the destruction of public property, a former political prisoner who served alongside them in Kalay said.
“I was cuffed [at the ankles] for two weeks once in quarantine during the [Covid-19] pandemic,” he told Myanmar Now. “They gave me five forms I had to fill in and 13 rules I had to recite before I could get my cuffs removed. My feet got swollen and injured… I can’t imagine how bad it would be for people who have had to sleep with the cuffs on every night during winter. It’s just inhumane.”
Myanmar’s colonial era Prisons Act states that prisoners can be shackled at the feet for up to three months if it is required for “security reasons,” but a prison superintendent must sign off on any case where the cuffs remain on for a longer period. The 28 prisoners reportedly requested the removal of their shackles every three months, but were rejected each time prior to this month.
Some of the isolated prisoners have been allowed meetings with relatives up to twice a month, PPN-M said. However, visiting family members must obtain permission letters from local police authorities and ward administrators, and Covid-19 clearance in order to meet their incarcerated loved ones.
Recent abuses have been reported in other jails, including Daik-U in Bago Region, where prison authorities are reportedly limiting inmates’ drinking water to two liters per day, citing electricity cuts and fuel shortages. A former political prisoner from the site said that those on death row only are being given one liter daily.
Water for bathing is also rationed, he explained.
“They only give prisoners 13 cups of water each with which to bathe themselves. They used to get 25 cups, which was enough for two showers, one in the morning and one at night.”
Prison officers still have unlimited access to water in the facility, he added.
In June, eight political prisoners were shot and killed while being transferred from Daik-U to Tharyarwaddy, also in Bago, and to Insein, in Yangon.
The junta released more than 9,000 prisoners nationwide on January 4, in commemoration of Myanmar’s Independence Day; very few were political prisoners.
