Behind Bars, Beyond Surrender
“Political prisoners in Burma endure unimaginable suffering, both during and after imprisonment. Their resilience is extraordinary, but their struggle continues in silence.”
Among the most vulnerable groups facing the Myanmar military junta’s violence are the political prisoners behind bars—stripped of their rights and defenseless against brutal abuse. Since and even prior to the illegal coup attempt, Myanmar’s political prisoners have been deliberately targeted with systematic human rights violations—including brutal interrogations, physical and psychological torture, sexual violence, denial of healthcare and visits, extortion, and extrajudicial killings.
Since the attempted coup, the junta has arrested 28,752 people, with at least 2,003 people killed in junta detainment. The junta has killed at least 114 in prison, 134 during interrogation, and 42 at police stations, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). Additionally, 124 are facing the death penalty in junta-controlled prisons. Political prisoners are trapped behind bars, enduring various forms of inhuman treatment and living in constant fear for their lives, with no legal rights or fair treatment. Prison staff routinely deny them basic needs including healthcare, with illness often met with only a single type of medication: paracetamol. Recently, two political prisoners lost their lives as a result of inadequate healthcare at Mandalay Central Prison, as reported by Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar (PPNM). Due to the junta’s refusal to provide healthcare and increased restrictions on medication sent by family members, the death toll of political prisoners has risen. In 2024 alone, at least 22 political prisoners died from being denied sufficient medical care in junta prisons across Myanmar.
On 26 February, Myanmar Now reported that junta prison guards beat five political prisoners at Pyay Prison in Bago Region for protesting an assault of a criminal prisoner. This is just one example of abuse, among many, that political prisoners face in junta prisons, where justice is absolutely absent. Additionally, a Myanmar Now journalist and two other long-term political prisoners in Insein Prison were tortured day and night since January for speaking out about human rights violations in prison during their meeting with the junta-controlled Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC). This further exposes the complicity of the MNHRC in the junta’s brutality and reaffirms civil society’s calls on the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions and the Southeast Asia National Human Rights Institution Forum to follow the decision of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institution and remove the junta-smokescreen MNHRC from their human rights networks—ensuring genuine accountability.
Notably, on 16 February 2025, the junta transferred 936 Rohingya prisoners—one of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups—from Insein Prison, Yangon Region, to Sittwe Prison, Rakhine State. This transfer occurred just days after an Argentine court issued arrest warrants for junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and other military and civilian leaders. The reason for the transfer remains unclear, but the junta may be forcibly conscripting the prisoners and deploying them as human shields to the frontline amid its ongoing military losses. Sittwe is at the center of escalating clashes between the junta and the Arakan Army (AA), with both forces committing abuses against the Rohingya community. As the AA intensifies its offensives and a possible takeover of Sittwe by the AA looms, PPNM raised concerns that the junta is sending these Rohingya prisoners to the frontline in Rakhine State.
The situation is worsening not only for political prisoners currently detained, but also for former political prisoners who continue to endure trauma and face systemic challenges in society. A report by AAPP and DIGNITY sheds light on the suffering of former political prisoners after their release. Their suffering continues as they face social isolation, economic hardship, physical and mental trauma, and the constant threat of re-arrest. Bo Kyi, Joint Secretary of AAPP, stated, “Political prisoners in Burma endure unimaginable suffering, both during and after imprisonment. Their resilience is extraordinary, but their struggle continues in silence.”
The crisis faced by political prisoners is part and parcel of the Myanmar military’s relentless violence against the people, both inside and outside junta prisons—especially against vulnerable and marginalized communities. Decades of impunity have allowed the Myanmar military to continue its widespread and systematic human rights violations and commit the most horrific atrocity crimes, including genocide against the Rohingya as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya and other ethnic communities. There is an urgent need to end the junta’s war of terror, and all political prisoners must be freed immediately and unconditionally. The junta must be held accountable for its international crimes through all available avenues, including through the International Criminal Court and cases under universal jurisdiction.
International actors must do more to address the crisis in Myanmar. The UN and ASEAN must support the Myanmar people’s efforts to seek justice and accountability. The international community must also ensure comprehensive support for political prisoners, including for former political prisoners to rebuild their lives with dignity.
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[1] One year following the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, the former military junta changed the country’s name from Burma to Myanmar overnight. Progressive Voice uses the term ‘Myanmar’ in acknowledgement that most people of the country use this term. However, the deception of inclusiveness and the historical process of coercion by the former State Peace and Development Council military regime into usage of ‘Myanmar’ rather than ‘Burma’ without the consent of the people is recognized and not forgotten. Thus, under certain circumstances, ‘Burma’ is used.
Resources from the past week
Statements and Press Releases
By Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions and CSO Working Group on Independent National Human Rights Institution (Burma/Myanmar)
Starmer’s UK Aid Cuts a Gift to Authoritarian Regimes
Burma Campaign UK
By Chinland Council
Myanmar journalist Sai Zaw Thaike repeatedly beaten, abused in prison
By Committee to Protect Journalists
By Defend Myanmar Democracy
Thai government urged to apply for warrants against Karen BGF leaders
By Justice For Myanmar
ကရင်နယ်ခြားစောင့်တပ် ခေါင်းဆောင်များအပေါ် ဖမ်းဝရမ်းလျှောက်ထားရန် ထိုင်းအစိုးရအား တိုက်တွန်း
By Justice For Myanmar
Protection not Pushbacks! Refugee not Refoulements!
By Milk Tea Alliance – Friends of Myanmar
Press Statement: Argentine Court’s arrest warrants are welcome progress towards justice
By Progressive Voice
Reports
Draft Sagaing constitution missing key rights
By Human Rights Myanmar
Spirited Resistance Annual Report – 2024 in Review
Karenni Human Rights Group
Progressive Voice is a participatory, rights-based policy research and advocacy organization that was born out of Burma Partnership. Burma Partnership officially ended its work on October 10, 2016 transitioning to a rights-based policy research and advocacy organization called Progressive Voice. For further information, please see our press release “Burma Partnership Celebrates Continuing Regional Solidarity for Burma and Embraces the Work Ahead for Progressive Voice.”
