A female political prisoner who was pregnant has died on May 6 at Mandalay’s Obo Prison, according to the Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM). Ma Ngwe Ni Win, 41, who was five months pregnant, was detained at Obo Prison while facing charges under Section 505(a) by the military council. She suffered complications when an earthquake struck on March 28, causing her unborn child’s heart to stop beating.
Despite requesting external medical treatment, prison authorities denied her access until April 14. By then, it was too late to save both mother and child. Though doctors were able to remove the deceased fetus, Ma Ngwe Ni Win developed a uterine infection. She was transferred to Mandalay General Hospital but passed away on May 6. She had been arrested while traveling from Kyaukme to Mandalay in October 2024 after authorities found photographs of her participating in anti-coup protests at a military checkpoint.
Ma Ngwe Ni Win had participated in protests against the 2021 military coup. Despite being pregnant at the time of her arrest, she was denied necessary medical care. Her family has not yet been informed of her death, and they have been unable to perform traditional Buddhist funeral rites including the seventh-day memorial service. The PPNM reports that over 140 political prisoners were injured in the earthquake, with at least four suffering permanent disabilities.
The incident highlights the ongoing crisis in prison healthcare, with deaths occurring due to inadequate medical care, medicine shortages, and poor management by prison authorities. The military council’s restrictions on prison access and failure to provide timely medical treatment continue to endanger the lives of political prisoners throughout Myanmar’s detention facilities. The case of Ma Ngwe Ni Win represents yet another tragedy resulting from the military council’s disregard for basic human rights and proper medical care for political prisoners.
