Prison sources have confirmed that following an attack on Magway Central Prison (also known as Daungne Prison) and Police Battalion No. 25 by the Daung Sit Aung People’s Defense Force (PDF) and allied forces on the night of April 13, military intelligence conducted investigations inside the prison and subsequently arrested 26 prison department staff including the prison warden. The arrests were reportedly made on charges of smuggling prohibited items into the prison facility.
The prison warden, who had only been transferred from Insein Prison to Magway a few months ago, along with the other detained staff members, will face charges under Section 42(a) of the Prison Law on June 6. Following the attack, prison authorities have intensified scrutiny of prison visits and communications, while political prisoners have been subjected to arbitrary beatings, torture, and solitary confinement according to reports.
Notably, former Vissanoo PDF leader Ko Aung Khant Oo (aka Pa Lay) and National League for Democracy (NLD) party member U Win Myint Hlaing (aka Ko Hlaing Hlaing), who represents Taungdwingyi Township Constituency No. 2 in the Magway Regional Parliament, have suffered severe injuries from military torture to the extent that their lives are in danger. Ko Aung Khant Oo is serving a 203-year prison sentence, while U Ko Ko Hlaing is serving a 173-year sentence.
The Magway Central Prison also holds other prominent political detainees including NLD party member and Magway Region Chief Minister Dr. Aung Moe Nyo and Regional Parliament Speaker U Ta. Since the attack, prisoners have been denied visitation rights, and food deliveries have been severely restricted to only one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and one type of fruit or snack, causing significant hardship for the inmates according to family members of the prisoners. During the April 13 attack on Magway Prison, military firing resulted in the deaths of two political prisoners, including Saw Shwe Aung, and more than 200 political prisoners are reportedly being tortured and held in solitary confinement by the military.
