Myanmar prisoners protest military with chants, songs
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/07/2021 (1599 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
BANGKOK (AP) — Prisoners inside Myanmar’s most notorious jail held a protest Friday, singing popular songs opposing the military government and chanting political slogans, according to nearby residents and to video uploaded to social media.
One video showed a street close to Insein Prison in Yangon with clear audio of voices shouting support for ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and ousted President Win Myint.
According to a lawyer representing some of those detained, the prisoners were demanding the release of all those held on political charges, an easing of prison regulations and medical treatment for those who have fallen sick amid spiraling cases of the coronavirus.
The lawyer asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of his position. He said he believed talks were underway.
A resident, who asked not to be named out of fear of possible repercussions, told The Associated Press by phone that she cried when she heard the chants, which lasted for around two hours.
Prison authorities did not respond to a request for comment. Witnesses said military vehicles entered the compound and soldiers were stationed outside.
Myanmar is currently reeling from soaring numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths that are badly straining the country’s medical infrastructure, already weakened when many state medical workers went on strike to protest the army’s seizure of power.
The country’s overcrowded prisons are especially susceptible to the spread of the virus, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which has done surveys of detention facilities.
On Tuesday a member of the executive committee of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, Nyan Win, died after becoming infected with COVID-19 inside Insein Prison.