AYEYARWADDY DIVISION – Prison officer Aung Kyaw Myint got drunk and inhumanely assaulted political prisoner Shine Htet Zaw in Hinthada Prison, reported Mr. Taik Tun Oo from Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM).
Around 8 p.m. on November 11 after the cells are locked, officer Aung Kyaw Myint ordered Mr. Shine Htet Zaw to put his hands out through the bars and beat him up for no reason.
“Political prisoner Shine Htet Zaw was beat up for no reason. His hands were swollen from the assault. It was so bad that they couldn’t even handcuff him when he was brought out for his court date. When he tried to pull his hands back from the pain, he was asked why he did that and was strangled. Since even prison officers are violating human rights, their subordinates also commit more violation,” said Mr. Taik Tun Oo.
It is said that the prison officer held a grudge against Mr. Shine Htet Zaw as he used to deposit cash with the prison staff in the past but has stopped.
Moreover, Officer Aung Kyaw Myint was not punished for his lawless actions and Warden Than Zaw Htwe, who is a drinking buddy of Aung Kyaw Myint, is known to be someone encouraging assault on political prisoners.
“These kinds of actions are led by prison officers so the political prisoners have no guarantee for their lives in the prisons, losing even the most basic human rights which is the right to survive. We request to keep an eye on the prison department as well,” added Mr. Taik Tun Oo.
Mr. Taik Tun Oo added that the junta council has carried out similar tortures in Hinthada Prison, oppressing political prisoners before this case with Mr. Shine Htet Zaw, taking advantage of the fact that it is harder for the news of the happenings inside Hinthada Prison to reach the people outside compared to other prisons, and urged for effective social punishment, for related organisations to issue warnings and for the people to pay attention to what’s happening in Hinthada Prison and join effective boycotts and social punishment.
