Two political prisoners have died in custody within days of each other in prisons located in Mon State and Yangon Region, both under the control of the military junta, according to the Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar (PPNM).
On July 19, Ko Pyae Sone Aung, a 44-year-old political prisoner detained in Thaton Prison, Mon State, died after being denied adequate medical treatment. He was a central executive member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Bilin Township and had been arrested on January 1, 2021. He was sentenced to six years in prison under Sections 52(a) and 505(a) and was being held at the Bilin Special Court.
The next day, on July 20, 26-year-old Ma Wutyi Aung, a central executive member of the Dagon University Student Union, died at Insein Prison in Yangon. Her death was reportedly due to injuries sustained from torture during military interrogation.
Ma Wutyi Aung was arrested on September 14, 2022. She was sentenced to three years in prison under Section 505(a), and later, on June 27, 2023, received an additional four-year sentence under Section 52(a), bringing her total sentence to seven years.
PPNM said most prisoner deaths under military rule result from a combination of poor prison healthcare, torture by military and police personnel, and injuries from brutal interrogations.
“Most political prisoners die due to inadequate healthcare upon arrival at prison. Others die from injuries caused by torture during interrogation, or from illnesses contracted in the harsh prison environment. In some cases, people with no prior medical issues die after being detained due to inhumane prison conditions or torture outside the prison,” said Ko Thike Tun Oo, a central committee member of PPNM.
Due to such conditions, at least 16 prisoners have died in various prisons across the country in 2025 alone, he added.
According to a July 21 report by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), nearly 30,000 people have been arrested since the military coup in 2021. Of those, nearly 20,000 remain in detention and more than 10,000 have been sentenced to prison terms.
