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MANDALAY DIVISION – Mr. Htet Yan Naing, a political prisoner in Mandalay’s Ohbo Prison, died after being assaulted by the prison staff, reported Mr. Taik Tun Oo of Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM).
Mr. Htet Yan Naing (aka) Ko Htet caught an inmate selling drugs on June 20 around 7 a.m. and tried to inform the prison authorities but the head prisoner smoothed things out between the two and asked Mr. Htet Yan Naing to not tell the authorities. However, the drug dealer became unhappy with Mr. Htet Yan Naing and made up false accusations and reported to Corporal Zayar Aung, the deputy chief of cell block 3, which led to the corporal beating up Mr. Htet Yan Naing.
When Mr. Htet Yan Naing protested the abuse, saying he committed no wrong, he was beaten for defying the authorities, then chained and dragged to the main jail. After that, he was assaulted by Corporal Zayar Aung, Private Myar Min Thu, Private Moe Mon Htet, Prisoner Pho Kay, and other prison staff using bamboo poles, metal rods, and tasers, with permission from Junior Warden Zaw Tun.
Mr. Htet Yan Naing tried to run away from the pain, screaming for help but was caught and beaten up again at the plantation of cell block 5. PPNM said that after the assault, Mr. Htet Yan Naing ended with bruises and wounds and would lose consciousness.
Then on June 20 around 10 a.m., prison staff tied him up and took him away in a wheelchair to the prison hospital but did not give him treatment, instead abandoning him in the psych ward of the prison. Only at around 1 p.m. when he was on the verge of dying, they transferred him to Mandalay Hospital where he passed away.
“The people outside and the human rights activists and human rights organisation outside the country were unable to hear Mr. Htet Yan Naing screaming and begging for help. That’s why we would like to request that more attention be given to torture in the prisons, and screams for help from inside the prisons. We also vow that we will work to take action on the perpetrators that tortured Mr. Htet Yan Naing,” said Mr. Taik Tun, an executive committee member of PPNM.
Mr. Htet Yan Naing was sentenced to four years in prison with hard labor under Section 52(a) at the Sagaing Township Court and died at the hands of prison staff.