The Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM) has confirmed that more than 200 inmates, including prominent political prisoner Ko Wai Moe Naing (also known as Ko Panda), have been transferred from Monywa Prison to various facilities including Mandalay’s Obo Prison, Myingyan Prison, and Magway Prison. The transfer operation began in the early morning hours of June 12, around 5 AM, when forces from the Northwest Military Command arrived with armored vehicles, military trucks, and cargo vehicles to transport the prisoners. Military council forces and prison authorities had been preparing for this transfer since the evening of June 11.
The convoy used for the transfer consisted of 2 armored vehicles, 3 passenger vehicles, and 6 twelve-wheeler trucks. While most prisoners were reportedly destined for Mandalay’s Obo Prison, PPNM Central Committee member Ko Thike Tun Oo revealed that some prisoners might be separately transferred to Myingyan and Magway prisons. Currently, Mandalay’s Obo Prison is severely overcrowded, with the inmate population far exceeding its maximum capacity. The facility has also suffered structural damage from recent earthquake activity, raising concerns about its ability to safely house additional prisoners.
Ko Thike Tun Oo warned that transferring an additional 200 prisoners to the already overcrowded Obo Prison could pose significant risks to inmates’ safety, particularly in the event of another earthquake or natural disaster. The sudden nature of the transfer, conducted without prior notification to families of the prisoners, has caused considerable distress among relatives of those transferred. The lack of transparency in the transfer process and the potential risks associated with overcrowding in damaged prison facilities have raised serious concerns about the welfare of the transferred prisoners.
