The hunger strike at Sagaing Region’s Monywa Prison ended today after staff at the notorious jail returned the medicine, food, clothes and books that had been seized from political prisoners six days ago, the Monywa People’s Strike Committee said.
Initially, 14 political prisoners began a hunger strike after their medicine, food, clothes, books and other possessions were seized during an inspection by military and police intelligence personnel on Friday.
The prisoners stopped eating to demand the return of their possessions.
The next day, more than 50 political prisoners, including prominent pro-democracy activist Ko Wai Moe Naing, joined the hunger strike after prison authorities ignored the initial group.
By that time, three of the initial 14 hunger strikers were unconscious due to lack of food and were refused medical attention, according to the committee
“All of their demands were met today, so they stopped the hunger strike in the afternoon,” a committee representative told The Irrawaddy.
The prisoners whose health deteriorated to the point of unconsciousness are now likely to receive health care, the committee representative said.
“The apparatus under the junta has subjugated [political] prisoners. However, they fought back without kneeling and by [drawing on] the strength of their convictions. We want to say thank you to the people who supported them,” he explained.
Monywa Prison is notorious for its ill-treatment of political prisoners arrested since the 2021 coup. At least 4,073 people have been killed and 24,760 civilians have been detained since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Of them, 19,465 remain behind bars.
