Prison authorities are extorting money from the families of political prisoners imprisoned in Tanintharyi Region, Karen and Mon states and Tanintharyi Region.
The revelations were made in a 28 November report by the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM).
Nai Aue Mon, the HURFOM Programme Director said: “Prison authorities often target political prisoners, extorting money from their families, who are forced to pay for better conditions in the prison and to secure necessary medical treatment for their loved ones.”
He said that the practice of extorting political prisoners is prevalent in Dawei Prison in Tanintharyi Region, Kyaikmaraw Prison in Mon State, and Hpa-An (Taungalay) Prison in Karen State.
“Political prisoners often endure physical beatings, harsh interrogations, and deliberate mistreatment. To stop this abuse, their families are frequently forced to pay money to prison authorities. This practice is widespread in Dawei, Kyaikmaraw, and Taungalay prisons,” he added.
Political prisoners whose families cannot afford to pay extortion money often suffer even harsher abuse.
Political prisoners’ families, many of whom already face financial hardships, worry that the burden of having to pay the prison authorities’ bribes to ensure their imprisoned relatives are not treated so badly will leave them even more destitute.
According to HURFOM, political prisoners, many of whom were imprisoned for such minor actions as participating in anti-coup movements or advocating for democracy, are often more oppressed by the prison authorities than normal prisoners.
Nai Aue Mon said: “I can say with certainty that prison authorities oppress political prisoners out of retaliation. They often see them as troublemakers, rioters, or instigators of unrest, which leads to increased aggression. When a political prisoner arrives, they are intentionally subjected to mental and physical stress. Some have even faced sexual harassment, not only women but also some men.”
He said that other forms of oppression faced by political prisoners include: denial of healthcare, inadequate nutrition and threats. Also, the prison authorities are now forcing political prisoners to do hard labour.
Others assisting political prisoners have also noted that when political prisoners become sick the prison authorities often ignore their pleas for medical treatment.
Nai Aue Mon said that HURFOM released its report to make international agencies and donors, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which monitors the situation of political prisoners, aware of the situation.
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