Myanmar Quake Kills 20 Political Prisoners, Rights Groups Say

[geovalin]

Obo prion BEFORE the eathquake

 

At least 30 inmates—including 20 political prisoners—were killed when a powerful earthquake struck central Myanmar on 28 March, according to a coalition of human rights organisations.

 

In a joint statement released Sunday, seven groups supporting political detainees, including the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar and the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, confirmed the fatalities and reported over 280 injuries within the prison system. The worst-hit was Obo Prison in Mandalay, where ageing and poorly maintained facilities collapsed during the quake.

 

Obo, Myanmar’s second-largest prison, houses thousands of inmates, many of whom are political detainees jailed by the military regime. The groups allege the junta has enforced a media blackout on prison casualties and threatened to forcibly relocate political prisoners who refuse to remain in damaged blocks to Tharyarwaddy Prison in Bago—further from family support networks and access to essentials like food and medicine.

 

“No aid has reached political prisoners affected by the disaster,” the statement said, citing the lack of both local and international assistance. “Injured inmates are being denied proper medical treatment, and some are suffering without basic care.”

 

Among the worst structural losses were two women’s cell blocks, a hospital wing, and a men’s workshop, all of which reportedly collapsed during the tremor.

 

The total death toll from the 6.8-magnitude quake has now risen to 3,735, with more than 5,100 injured and 120 still missing, according to figures released by the military government.

 

Human rights advocates are urging the United Nations and international humanitarian agencies to investigate the treatment of detainees and press the junta for transparency and accountability.

 

With thousands still detained for political activism since the 2021 coup, the earthquake has cast a grim spotlight on the regime’s neglect and the fragile conditions in Myanmar’s prisons.

 

-2025-04-22