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AAPP Exposes the Prison Departments Cover Up of Prison Conditions

Information release

31 May 2011

AAPP roundly criticizes the Prison Departments recent response to the hunger strike

that has taken place in Insein prison, starting on 22 May. Rather than investigating the

concerns made by the striking prisoners, the Prison Department has instead continued

its culture of impunity by fabricating lies regarding the conditions prisoners are held in.

In an article published in a Burmese journal, an unnamed authority from Insein prisonaddressed the strikers demands, effectively discarding their concerns withreprehensible distortions of the truth. For those political prisoners whose healthstatuses have worsened due to the inhumane prison conditions, or have resulted indeath, the Prison Departments response is a blatant affront.

The Prison Authoritys responses to the hunger strikers demands are as follows:

1. The Thein Sein administration purportedly spends 288 lakhs ($28,800) per dayfor prisoners food. U Zaw Win, Director General of Prison Department, said

there are 248,664 prisoners held in prisons across Burma. If this number were

accurate, that would translate into 58 kyats per prisoner per day, the equivalent

of ten cents.

2. It was expressed that the food provided to prisoners are nutritious and sufficientfor their dietary needs.

3. The Prison Authority claimed they spray the prisons once a week withinsecticide. For security and financial reasons, neither mosquito nets nor electric

fans can be provided.

4. It was mentioned that prisoners are allowed to use stationery and writemessages, they just need to visit the prison office.

5. It was expressed that family visits are not censored.6. Uniforms are already provided to all prisoners, so there is no need for new ones.

There is a disturbing pattern of political prisoners being severely beaten and

reprimanded when they demand better prison conditions. Most recently, 7 of the striking

political prisoners in Insein prison were sent to the military dog cell, a type of punishment

cell that used to house the military dogs. They were released, only to be returned to

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solitary confinement when they refused to give up on their demands. The prison

authorities are sending out a clear message: we will silence you by any means necessary.

Said by Ko Tate Naing, Secretary of AAPP

With this in mind, AAPP expresses concern over the conditions political prisoners are

held in, and demands the following from the Union Solidarity and Development Party

(USDP) administration:

1. The Prison Authority must ensure that the allotted food rations reach every

prisoner.

2. To allow the ICRC to reenter the prisons to check on the prisoners health.

3. To allow International Human Rights Organizations to enter and check the

status of prisons and labor camps and ensure they meet international laws and

standards.

4. To provide clean prison quarters and nutritious food.

5. To separate political prisoners from criminal offenders.6. To reduce restricted disciplines only towards political prisoners and to give

commuted dates to political prisoners as the same as criminal offenders.

AAPP urges the international community to continue its pressure on the Thein Sein

administration to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners in

Burma.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)

For more information -

Ko Tate Naing (Secretary) +66(0) 812 878 751

Ko Bo Kyi (Joint secretary) +66(0) 819 628 713