Families Worry About Safety of Political Prisoners Amid Fighting in Loikaw
By Network Media Group
Tuesday, December 26, 2023
Fears among families of political prisoners held in Loikaw are mounting after communications have been severed with their loved ones following the launch of 1111 Operation by resistance forces aiming to seize the capital town of Karenni State.
A mother of a prisoner of conscience explained that she hasn’t seen her son for almost two months. “My son isn’t eating much. He used to share the food we sent him with other political prisoners. That’s why I am worried about his health and whether he is suffering from gastric issues in prison,” she told NMG from a displaced camp where she now lives.
There are approximately 140 political prisoners in Loikaw out of a total prison population of about 500, and the last time their families could visit was on October 24. Khu Rai Reh, chair of the Karenni Political Prisoners Association (KPPA) explained there are about 140 political prisoners locked up in the town while the regime has released the same amount who were imprisoned after the military coup.
An ex-political prisoner who was freed, said, “There is a doctor working at Loikaw prison, but there is not enough medicine. Probably, they are running out of medicine now and facing food shortages.” When he was in jail, prison authorities also didn’t allow his family to visit, but they were permitted to receive a letter from him every two weeks, later reduced to once a month.
The Karenni Nationalities Defense Force, fighting to capture Loikaw with various other groups, has advised the dwindling population of civilians who remain in the town to avoid staying near the prison, as that area is still controlled by the State Administration Council (SAC). The groups seized the Karenni State Police headquarters near there on December 9.
