The Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar (PPNM) has voiced grave concerns after the military junta and police removed 936 Rohingya detainees, including women and children, from Insein Prison on the morning of 16 February.

According to Ko Thaik Htun Oo, a member of PPNM’s steering committee, the detainees—over 500 of whom are men – were taken away in vans at around 6 am and their whereabouts are still unknown.

“Since their families are unknown, obtaining any information about them is extremely difficult. There is a strong possibility that the Military Council is deploying them to reinforce its forces amid ongoing losses, which is highly alarming,” he said.

A day before their transfer, more than 50 immigration officers under the junta reportedly visited the prison to issue identity documents to the detainees, though the type of ID remains unclear. Additionally, some of those removed had been transferred from other prisons in recent days.

PPNM also highlighted that some Rohingya detainees have been held beyond their official release dates. Some have been imprisoned for over a year and a half past their sentences.

Initial reports suggest that the detainees may have been sent to the front lines, prompting PPNM to call for immediate monitoring of their situation.

Efforts to obtain comments from military spokesperson General Zaw Min Tun and Insein Prison officials have so far been unsuccessful.