Myanmar’s military government has allowed family visits to prisoners for the first time in 3½ years, a right that had been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Visitors must be able to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccinations and a household relationship to the prisoner being met. Further documentation is required from the visitors local administration offices and police precincts.
International
-Sathish Raman
Myanmar’s
military
government
has
allowed
family
members
to
visit
political
prisoners
for
the
first
time
in
more
than
three
years.
The
move
comes
as
the
country
continues
to
face
international
pressure
over
its
human
rights
record.
Conditions
for
Visits
The
new
rules
for
prison
visits
were
announced
by
the
military’s
information
office
and
prison
officials.
Visitors
must
be
able
to
provide
proof
of
COVID-19
vaccinations
and
a
household
relationship
to
the
prisoner
being
met.
Further
documentation
is
required
from
the
visitors’ local
administration
offices
and
police
precincts.
A
family
member
of
a
prisoner
convicted
of
incitement
and
high
treason
for
protesting
military
rule
told
The
Associated
Press
that
she
was
allowed
to
meet
her
son
for
about
20
minutes
in
a
large
room
after
waiting
for
about
two
hours
with
more
than
100
other
visitors.
She
visited
a
prison
in
Thayarwaddy
township
in
Bago
region,
about
95
kilometers
(60
miles)
north
of
Yangon,
the
country’s
biggest
city.
She
said
she
was
happy
to
see
her
son
again
after
more
than
a
year
and
to
be
able
to
bring
him
medicine
and
money,
since
she
last
saw
him
at
his
trial
in
August
last
year.
Reaction
from
Political
Prisoners’
Groups
Tun
Kyi,
a
senior
member
of
the
Former
Political
Prisoners
Society,
a
mutual
support
group,
said
any
easing
of
prison
conditions
should
be
regarded
as
an
effort
by
the
military
government
to
score
political
points
and
ease
international
pressure.
“There
is
nothing
to
be
happy
or
welcome
about
this
case,
which
is
intended
to
ease
international
pressure,” Tun
Kyi
said.
Background
Family
visitation
rights
were
suspended
after
the
coronavirus
pandemic
began
in
early
2020.
Most
sectors
of
society
gradually
reduced
or
dropped
testing
requirements
and
other
virus-fighting
measures
since
2022,
but
family
visits
to
prisoners
had
remained
banned.
Although
prisons,
in
Myanmar
as
elsewhere,
saw
the
coronavirus
spread
easily
because
of
crowding
and
poor
hygienic
conditions,
the
continuation
of
the
ban
on
visits
had
been
widely
seen
as
meant
to
demoralize
political
prisoners
and
highlight
the
punishment
awaiting
those
who
challenge
military
rule.
The
military
government’s
decision
to
allow
family
visits
to
political
prisoners
is
a
positive
step,
but
it
is
important
to
remember
that
the
military
is
still
holding
thousands
of
political
prisoners
in
detention.
The
international
community
must
continue
to
pressure
the
military
government
to
release
all
political
prisoners
and
to
respect
the
human
rights
of
all
people
in
Myanmar.
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