SHAN STATE – The family members of political prisoners in Nyaungshwe Prison, southern Shan State are reportedly targeted by scam calls that ask for money claiming they can help the prisoners get out of avoid prison transfer.
It is said that the prison warden personally warned the family members of the scams.
“When we went for visitation, the warden told us at the gate that there are such scams and to not fall for them,” said a family member of a political prisoner in Nyaungshwe Prison.
The warden reportedly informed that the prison transfer lists are decided by higher ups and are kept secret and cannot be changed that easily.
There have also been cases of scams claiming they will release the prisoner who asked for one million kyats in addition to air ticket fares, with no actual results.
Victims of those scams have also shared their experience online and so far, a family has been reported to have been scammed 1.6 million kyats, the highest amount scammed.
The August 12 report by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) stated that 27,184 people were detained following the military coup, with 20,740 of them still in detention and 9,323 of them serving prison sentences.
The Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM) also said that political prisoners are detained in 38 out of 46 prisons across the country.
