Bangkok (Mizzima) – Fourteen political prisoners who were sent to ‘military-dog cells’, small rooms about 8 x 10 feet, for staging a hunger-strike were sent back to their former prison wards on Thursday and have been allowed to receive visitors.
On Wednesday evening, the Prison Department General Director Zaw Win met with 10 protesters. Fourteen political prisoners were sent back to their prison wards on Thursday morning.
Two political prisoners were also allowed to receive their families at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aung Zaw Tun, a member of Helping Network for Families of Political Prisoners, told Mizzima. The network was formed by 60 family members of 18 political prisoners in April.
The political prisoners made a six-point demand for improvements in prison conditions including providing clean and nutritious food, providing adequate medical care and allowing prisoners to read books and the right to study languages. During the protest, the prison authorities did not allow the protesters to meet with visitors or to receive food parcels.
Although it is still unclear whether the protest has ended or not , observers said that the political prisoners and prison authorities might be able to reach an agreement.
Phil Robertson, the deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, said he was waiting to see if the Burmese government would take action against the protesters in the prison.
