Approximately 30 political prisoners returning from an officially sanctioned football match inside Yangon's notorious Insein Prison were arbitrarily and violently beaten by a prison official, local monitoring groups and sources reported.
The incident, which took place on the evening of July 5, involved political prisoners held in Ward 1 who had been permitted to attend the sports event.
The assailant, identified as Prison Officer Aung Kyaw Sint—a one-star insignia officer—allegedly utilized a heavy rubber baton to deliberately strike the detainees in vital areas, including their faces, heads, and necks.
Mizzima could not reach Aung Kyaw Sint for an interview to get his response.
“They were intercepted by the one-star officer as they returned to their ward after watching the authorized football match," a local source told Mizzima on the condition of anonymity due to severe security risks. "Even though the prisoners explained that they had just attended an officially permitted event, the officer rejected their explanation and immediately began beating them.”
The source noted that the unprovoked assault targeted both the political prisoners who played in the match and those who attended as spectators.
“Around 30 individuals were subjected to the beating, carried out single-handedly by Officer Aung Kyaw Sint,” the source added.
The officer reportedly extended the violence by severely assaulting a second political prisoner who looked back at him. He then forced the remaining detainees to lie face down on the ground before systematically stomping on their backs with his boots.
A separate anonymous source confirmed that the targeted political prisoners had committed no rules violations within the facility.
“They were brutally beaten solely due to the officer's deep-seated resentment toward political detainees. Some of them are currently in such severe pain that they are unable to get out of bed,” the second source revealed.
The Political Prisoners Network of Myanmar (PPNM), a prominent local advocacy group, confirmed that the “inhumane treatment” resulted in severe trauma to the prisoners’ faces and heads. The network reported that several victims remain in critical condition and are completely immobilized in their cells.
In a formal statement issued on July 7, PPNM strongly condemned the acts of torture and systemic violence, reiterating its unwavering commitment to fighting for the fundamental rights of political detainees in Myanmar.
Since the military staged a coup in February 2021, ousting the democratically elected government, Myanmar's military regime has launched a brutal crackdown on dissent.
As of early July, a total of 31,339 people have been arrested across the country, with 14,401 individuals still languishing in detention, according to the latest verification data from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
