A 54-year-old political prisoner, U Aye Lwin, who was detained under political charges in Kawthaung Prison, Tanintharyi Region, has died due to inadequate medical treatment, according to the Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM). U Aye Lwin was transferred to Two Mile Hospital from the prison at 7 PM on June 26 after falling ill, but he passed away at the hospital due to insufficient and untimely medical care. This death represents one of several cases where political prisoners have died due to inadequate medical care in prisons.
According to PPNM’s records, from January to June 30, 2025, at least 13 political prisoners have died due to insufficient medical care in prisons. The military council has been actively suppressing news of these deaths from reaching the public by covering up information, forcing family members to sign documents, and making threats. Ko Thet Tun Oo from PPNM revealed that the authorities are implementing various measures to prevent information about prisoner deaths from becoming public.
The Prison Department and Police Force are attempting to control information about political prisoner deaths, requiring family members to sign agreements not to disclose information and prohibiting them from posting about the deaths online. As a result, Ko Thet Tun Oo suggests that the actual number of political prisoner deaths may be higher than officially reported. Recently, U Aung Kyaw Oo, the Mandalay Region Parliament Speaker, also died while being detained in Mandalay’s Obo Prison, as announced by the National Unity Government. These incidents highlight the ongoing crisis of inadequate healthcare and oppression in prisons under the military council’s control.
