Political prisoners in Kyaiksakaw Prison in Daik-U Township, Bago Region, are facing increasingly severe restrictions on medical care and basic necessities. According to families of political prisoners, inmates must pay for even basic medication like paracetamol when they fall ill, and a single injection costs around 10,000 kyats (approximately USD 5). Those who cannot afford to pay are denied any medical treatment whatsoever, creating a dire situation where access to healthcare is determined solely by one’s ability to pay.
The food situation within the prison has also deteriorated significantly. The rice served to prisoners often contains stones and grass seeds, and is frequently undercooked. The prison commissary sells items at extremely inflated prices, with a single egg costing 2,000 kyats and a loaf of bread priced at 10,000 kyats, making these basic items unaffordable for most inmates. Food parcels sent by families are not allowed to be reheated, resulting in spoilage and waste. Unlike other prisons where cooking vessels are provided for reheating food, Daik-U Prison denies inmates this basic necessity.
The situation has become particularly concerning as prisoners who attempt to report these oppressive conditions to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) face punishment, including solitary confinement. This has effectively silenced inmates from reporting human rights violations and poor living conditions within the facility. The combination of inadequate medical care, poor nutrition, and harsh living conditions has created an environment where political prisoners face not only the loss of their freedom but also serious threats to their health and well-being. The prison authorities’ systematic denial of basic rights and services has transformed what should be a correctional facility into what sources describe as a place of deliberate deprivation and punishment.
