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| Released prisoners make their way out of Insein Prison in Rangoon on May 17, 2011. (Photo: Reuters) |
Seven of the 22 political prisoners who have been on a hunger strike at Rangoon's Insein Prison since last week have been placed in special punishment cells for demanding better conditions, according to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
The seven prisoners were transferred on Tuesday to “military dog cells,” the group said, referring to holding cells inside a prison compound for guard dogs. Former political prisoners say that those who are placed in the ten-by-ten-foot cells are routinely subjected to the worst forms of abuse.
“Military dog cells are places of extreme punishment. The lives of these political prisoners are in great jeopardy. This is a very serious human rights violation,” said Tate Naing, secretary of the AAPP.
Prisoners who are held in the cells are typically beaten and forced to crawl like dogs, and are often denied food or medical attention, even if they are severely injured, said Tate Naing, who urged the international community to pressure the Burmese government to release the prisoners.
The seven political prisoners who have been placed in the cells are Aung Kyaw Soe, Nyi Nyi Tun, Nyan Lin Tun, Soe Moe Tun, Zaw Tun Naing, U Vithoddi (aka Wunna Htay) and U Yayvata (aka Ye Min Naung).
Tate Naing said they were probably singled out because they were perceived as a greater threat due to their ability to lead other prisoners in resisting the prison authorities. Two of the prisoners, U Vithoddi and U Yayvata, are Buddhist monks.
The other striking prisoners are expected to be transferred to other prisons around the country, according to AAPP.
The hunger strike was launched in part because of an amnesty announced last week that excluded almost all of Burma's more than 2,000 political prisoners.
The government should reconsider its actions against these political prisoners, as they have vowed to build a new democratic government in Burma, said Tate Naing.
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