Rangoon: Seven Arakanese youth who were sentenced to several years in prison along with five others last year were recently transferred to remote prisons, say family sources and their lawyer. 

The seven youths were transferred to remote prisons in Kachin State from Insein prison in Rangoon on 22 March, said lawyer U Kyaw Hoe. 

"I heard that Ko Tun Lin Kyaw was transferred to Ka Tha prison and Ko Kyaw Win was transferred to Ban Maw prison, but I do not know where the authority transferred the next five Arakanese youths. Now only four among the group of Arakanese prisoners remain in Insein due to their health, after the seven were transferred to remote prisons," he said. 

Ray Hhet Soe, Khaing Kyaw Moe, Aung Naing, and Ko Naing Soe are being kept at Insein prison due to their deteriorating health. Khaing Kyaw Moe, Aung Naing, and Ko Naing Soe have been hospitalized with injuries at the prison after being tortured by prison authorities, according to family sources. 

11 Arakanese youth, all in their mid-twenties, were arrested by Burmese authorities in Rangoon and Arakan State in September 2009 on multiple charges, including possession of explosives, having connections with outside organizations, and crossing the border illegally. 

On 11 August, 2010, the authority sentenced the youth to three to nine years in prison on several charges in a trial that was held in the notorious Insein prison court, during which no evidence of their guilt was presented before the court. 

"It is difficult to tell you details about why the authority transferred the prisoners to remote prisons. As far as I know they sometimes clashed with senior prisoners because the Arakanese youths do not tolerate falsehoods. So I heard the authority transferred them to remote prisons," the lawyer said. 

However, the prison authority has not informed the families about the transfer of the youth to the remote prisons. The family members believe the authority wants to cut communication between them, and moved the youth to remote prisoners to cut off contact with their families. 

Ko Soe, a family member in Sittwe, said, "The authority wants to add extra punishment on them. So they transferred them to remote prisons. We now have difficulty getting to the remote prisons in order to meet with them. We strongly believe this was done by the authority intentionally." 

The eleven Arakanese youth are from four townships in Arakan State - Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Sittwe, and Ponna Kyunt.