The Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM) has confirmed that political prisoner Ko Hein Min Thu has died from epilepsy due to inadequate healthcare at Katha Prison in Sagaing Region. The 33-year-old prisoner passed away on April 26th after being arrested by the military council on June 5, 2023. He had been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment under three unjust laws on March 28, 2025.
Ko Hein Min Thu was illegally detained under sections 50(i), 52(a), and 52(b) of the Counter-Terrorism Law. Despite suffering from epilepsy while in prison, he did not receive necessary medical treatment. He was only transferred to an external hospital after his condition became critical, but by then it was too late to save his life. Ko Hein Min Thu was a teacher from Inntaw town who had joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in opposition to the military coup and was actively involved in leading anti-dictatorship protests during the Spring Revolution.
Ko Thet Tun Oo, a leading committee member of the Political Prisoners Network Myanmar, revealed that political prisoners are losing their lives due to poor healthcare services in prisons. He explained that Ko Hein Min Thu was only transferred to the hospital after losing consciousness from epileptic seizures, which was far too late. He emphasized that political prisoners are dying due to insufficient medical care in prisons, and called for adequate healthcare services to be provided to all detained political prisoners. The case of Ko Hein Min Thu serves as yet another tragic example of how inadequate prison healthcare is leading to the deaths of political prisoners under the military regime’s detention.
