New Delhi (Mizzima) – The United Nations Human Rights expert on Monday met five political prisoners in Rangoon's notorious Insein prison as part of his second trip to assess the situation of human rights in military-ruled Burma.
"He met five political prisoners, but we still don't know who they are," said the source, who is close to Insein prison.
Quintana on Monday was escorted to the notorious Insein prison in Rangoon by a convoy of security personnel and security was beefed up in and around the prison.
Quintana, who went into the prison at about 3:30 p.m. (local time), was seen leaving the Insein prison from the front gate at about 7:20 p.m. (local time), the source said.
The source said, "6 p.m. (local time) is usually the time for prisoners to have dinner and it could be that he is observing the food given to the prisoners."
But the source said, with prison authorities well prepared for the visit of the UN envoy, Quintana might be fooled if he judges the prison conditions by appearances.
Prison authorities in Burma, according to sources, are reportedly busy cleaning up prison cells, supplying cleaner uniforms and better meals to prisoners as the United Nations Human Rights expert began prison visits on Sunday, sources said.
The source said authorities have cleaned up the compound, re-painted the walls and supplied new uniforms to security personnel as well as to the prisoners.
On Sunday, Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN rights expert, visited the Pa-an prison, capital of Karen State in eastern Burma, where there are at least nine prisoners of conscience including popular blogger Nay Phone Latt, a prison official on Monday told Mizzima.
"Yesterday, he [Quintana] came here and stayed around one hour from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m." the official said.
But the official declined to give details as to whom Quintana met during his visit to the prison saying, "No one is allowed to speak about this, we don't know."
But Nay Phone Latt's mother, who visited her son at the Pa-an prison in Karen State of eastern Burma on Saturday, said she saw the prison authorities cleaning up the prison and changing the prisoner's uniforms.
"I saw that authorities are cleaning and re-painting the prison," she said.
Aye Aye Than, mother of Nay Phone Latt, said, "My son is aware that Quintana will be visiting the prison but I am not sure whether my son met with the UN expert."
Nay Phone Latt, who was arrested January 2008, was sentenced to 20 years and six months in prison in November 2008 under various charges including video law and electronic acts. He is 28. He was moved to Pa-an prison in remote eastern Burma in November 2008 from Insein prison in Rangoon.
In Myitkyina jail, in the capital of Kachin State in Northern Burma, where there are at least 10 political prisoners including popular comedian Zarganar, prison authorities have began providing better meals to prisoners since last month, a relative of a political prisoner, who visited the prison on Friday said.
"The prisoner's daily meals have been changed since last month and its becoming extremely good something they have never seen before," the relative said.
She said her relative told her that all the prisoners are aware that the UN rights expert is to visit the prison soon and are eagerly looking forward to his coming.
A family member of Zarganar, who requested anonymity, told Mizzima on Monday that prison authorities are busy getting new uniforms as preparation to the visit by the UN envoy.
An official of the Myitkyina prison told Mizzima that they have been informed that Quintana will be visiting the prison but, "I don't know when he will be coming."
The UN rights expert, who is visiting Burma for the second time since his appointment, is on a six-day trip, from February 14 to 19, and will visit prisons in Karen, Kachin and Arakan states.
Sources said Quintana has also requested a meeting with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but it is still unclear whether he will be granted permission to meet her, given that he was unable to meet her during his earlier visit in August 2008.
