Prison Conditions Inside Burma
When Burma’s democratically elected civilian government assumed power, it prioritized prison reform as a central pillar of its broader reform agenda. However, since the military coup on February 1, 2021, the once-improving prison conditions have gradually deteriorated and are now in a dire condition.
One example that illustrates the seriousness of the situation is the overcrowding in prisons. As the junta’s arbitrary arrests have increased while the Spring Revolution continues, inmates are forced to live in cramped conditions. Many are required to sleep on their sides, in extremely close contact with one another. Many have to sleep in the middle of the cell, without enough space. Inmates in solitary confinement also face such dire conditions. Consequently, not only have infectious diseases spread, but extortion is becoming regular practice. Although the junta may release inmates as part of a so-called “amnesty,” as of the time of writing, daily arrests continue and the prison population remains high.
Additionally, some prisons were built during the colonial era. They are not sufficiently maintained and are not suitable for living. Natural disasters such as earthquakes may pose a threat to the lives of inmates there.
Inmates also do not have access to adequate healthcare in prisons. Regardless of the ailment, all inmates receive the same medicine, some of which have expired. There are also restrictions on the type of medicine that can be brought into prisons. To request emergency medical treatment, one must report all the way up to the Superintendent of the prison. Injuries from interrogation centers are not adequately treated. The conditions in prisons not only worsen the diseases that inmates suffer from but also lead to fatalities inside prison. Inmates with infectious disease are kept together with other inmates, causing disease to spread.
The conditions in prisons not only worsen the diseases that inmates suffer from but also lead to fatalities inside prison.
Extortion is widespread in prisons. Prison authorities officially allow inmates to write letters, deposit money in prison markets, receive parcels, and receive prison visits, but there are many rules and restrictions involved. Family members often have to pay high prices for such things. Inmates also do not have enough food and utilities and are being extorted for money in order to receive such items.
Prison authorities have set up various labor boards (where prisoners sentenced to hard labor are assigned to perform certain types of labor) to force inmates to work. Prisoners are not compensated for their labor. If they do labor, their sentence may be reduced. If they refuse to do labor, their sentences are not reduced.
During the Spring Revolution, prison authorities have used prison transfer as a tool to restrict inmates who demand their rights. Some are still being transferred to prisons far from their families for allegedly committing offenses in prison. Some incidents during the Spring Revolution show that inmates were taken outside the prison and killed.
