A political prisoner, Ko Hla Min (aka) Ko Hla Gyi, suddenly died of cardiac arrest on July 5 at Pyapon Prison in Bago Region, as confirmed by the Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM). Ko Hla Min, who was serving a 10-year sentence under Section 50(n), had no prior health conditions before his sudden cardiac arrest. The PPNM Central Committee member Ko Thike Tun Oo stated that they are conducting detailed investigations into the circumstances of his death.
According to PPNM’s monitoring, Pyapon Prison, like other prisons in Myanmar, continues to face shortages of medicine and inadequate healthcare services. From January to July 8, 2025, the total number of political prisoners who died due to health issues in Myanmar’s prisons has reached 14, marking a 10% increase compared to the previous year. Ko Thike Tun Oo emphasized that this situation is extremely concerning. Despite attempts to transfer Ko Hla Min to an outside hospital for treatment, he could not be saved.
The PPNM has assessed that the lives of political prisoners are increasingly at risk due to poor prison healthcare services and lack of timely medical treatment. The network demands that the military council’s prison authorities immediately cease human rights violations against unjustly detained political prisoners and provide full healthcare services. The rising number of deaths in custody highlights the urgent need for proper medical care and attention to the wellbeing of political prisoners, who continue to face challenging conditions within Myanmar’s prison system.
