Mizzima
A 35-year-old female political detainee incarcerated in Obo Prison has died due to a lack of adequate health care.
According to a statement released on 7 February by the Myanmar Political Prisoners Network (PPN), Yin Moe, held in Obo Prison situated in Mandalay town, passed away at Mandalay General Hospital due to complications from kidney disease, a consequence of insufficient medical attention during her imprisonment.
Reportedly, Yin Moe breathed her last on 4 February while undergoing medical treatment at Mandalay General Hospital.
Thaik Tun Oo, a member of the Myanmar Political Prisoners Network Steering Committee said, “She received treatment at the prison hospital without a proper diagnosis of her ailment. Painkillers were provided at the prison hospital. As her condition worsened, she was transferred to Mandalay General Hospital for further treatment, but was unable to receive continuous care due to security concerns, resulting in repeated trips between the hospital and prison.”
The statement by the PPN suggests that Yin Moe’s kidney ailment remained undetected until it reached a critical stage, highlighting a lack of adequate medical attention while she was seriously ill in prison. However, the prison authorities have cited security reasons for their inability to provide continuous medical care, the statement emphasizing that Yin Moe’s inability to receive round-the-clock treatment outside the prison contributed to her demise.
She was arrested in March 2021 and subsequently sentenced to six years in Obo Prison for defamation under Section 505 (a). Despite being transferred to Myingyan Prison in the Mandalay region in July 2022, her declining health led to her return to Obo Prison in mid-2023.
Advocates for political prisoners’ rights have consistently highlighted the inadequate healthcare provided to detainees across Myanmar’s prisons, particularly since the military coup. Reports suggest that prisoners have been deprived of sufficient medical attention, worsening their already precarious health conditions.
The dire situation has led to a grim toll, with five political prisoners reportedly succumbing to insufficient medical treatment between January and February 2024.
Among them are male detainees Rashin (aka) Hashin and Pyae Phyo Aung from Kyaikmayaw Prison in Mon State, male prisoner Kyi Ra Aung from Kalay Prison in the Sagaing Region, and female prisoner Su May Aung from Magway Prison in the Magway region. Their deaths occurred between 12 and 23 January, further underscoring the urgency of addressing the healthcare crisis within Myanmar’s prison system.
