Fifteen domestic and international organizations, including the Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar (PPNM), have issued a joint statement warning about the increasing deaths of political prisoners due to systematic denial of healthcare in prisons across Myanmar. The statement expresses serious concern over the rising prison deaths amid significant deterioration of human rights in the four and a half years following the 2021 military coup. The organizations have called for the immediate release of all those wrongfully detained.
More than 1,800 people detained by the military council have died either due to deliberate denial of healthcare in prisons or lack of treatment for injuries sustained during interrogations after arrest. The deaths are attributed to insufficient medical supplies in prisons, lack of regular doctor visits, and severely limited medical staff. Additionally, political prisoners are dying because prison authorities fail to transfer emergency cases to external hospitals in a timely manner. The organizations highlight that while these deaths may appear to be health-related, they stem from systematic deficiencies in the prison healthcare system.
In July 2025, several deaths were reported in different detention facilities. Among them was 26-year-old political prisoner Ma Wut Yee Aung, who died in Insein Prison due to head injuries sustained during interrogation. Despite her family’s requests for treatment at an external hospital, prison authorities denied adequate medical care. Similarly, Ko Pyae Sone Aung, a 44-year-old National League for Democracy (NLD) party representative from Bilin Township in Mon State, died in Thaton Prison after severe beatings, with prison officials refusing to provide appropriate medical treatment.
The joint statement demands that the military council immediately cease torture and other forms of mistreatment of detainees, improve prison conditions in accordance with the UN Nelson Mandela Rules and international detention standards, and ensure detainees receive timely access to necessary healthcare, including transfers to external hospitals when needed. The organizations also call for allowing international aid, humanitarian and medical organizations, and family members to visit prisons, and strengthening the provision of medicine and other supplies through these channels. The statement emphasizes the urgent need for systematic changes to prevent further deaths and ensure humane treatment of all detainees in Myanmar’s prison system.
