| Burma cracks down on visits to political prisoners
July 27, 2007 (DVB)—The Burmese authorities have reportedly cracked down on visits to political prisoners, increasing restrictions on food and medicine parcels, the families of several detainees told DVB.
Ma Thandar, the wife of political prisoner Ko Khin Kyaw detained in Insein, said that when she visited him yesterday she was ‘thoroughly’ searched by prison officials.
“The checked every piece of food brought in. They wouldn’t allow cooked food to brought in. Some officials said they were expecting some superiors,” Ma Thandar said.
The mother of Mandalay political prisoner Ko Bo Bo said he appeared extremely thin when she visited him on Wednesday and that prison officials had imposed heavy restrictions on the amount of food allowed into the prison.
Ko Bo Bo’s mother Daw Myint Myint Kyi said that only small packets of instant coffee mix were allowed to be brought in for political inmates.
“They won’t let us bring food in but they can’t afford to feed the inmates themselves . . . the government has said in the newspapers that they are giving them bottled water but reality of the situation is the completely opposite,” Daw Myint Myint said.
Political prisoners Ko Aung Htun, U Kyaw Min and U Win Htein were also transferred to the Tharawaddy, Myingyan and Katha prisons respectively this month.
Reporting by Khin Hnin Htet
|
