Six people arrested during last year's Saffron Revolution demonstrations in Arakan State are currently being detained in Sittwe prison along with criminals.

The six political prisoners are being made to stay together in cells with criminals and have not been given safer accommodation.

"Their situation is much worse than other criminals in the prison because they are democracy activists. They were not given any opportunity even though they are politicians," a relative of a prisoner said.

The six activists have also been facing problems in prison because they are terrorized by the prison authorities.

"Their health is not so bad, but they are suffering mentally as the prison authorities have been oppressing them. Sometimes they are not given the chance to meet relatives, and sometimes prison authorities prohibit them from accepting medicine and food from their relatives," he said.

The six activists are Ko Aung Naing, Ko Nyi Nyi Lwin, Ko Kyaw Aye Sein, U Kyaw Sein Hla, and Ko Than Soe. They were among a dozen or so who were arrested during the protests in Arakan State last fall.

They have each been sentenced by the regime to serve between two to five years in prison for their involvement in the anti-junta demonstrations.