Former Rakhine State Prime Minister U Nyi Pu and his daughter Ma Moe San Suu Kyi, who were unjustly sentenced to lengthy prison terms following the military coup, have recently been relocated to different prison facilities, according to information provided by their family members.
Ma Moe San Suu Kyi, who holds a leadership role in the youth wing of the National League for Democracy (NLD), was moved from Insein Prison in Yangon to Thayarwaddy Prison in Bago Region on June 9th, as informed by her elder sister, Ma Kyi Kyi Oo, to Narinjara.
Following Ma Moe San Suu Kyi's arrest on May 9th, 2021, in an apartment near Hledan intersection in Kamayut Township, Yangon, she was unjustly accused of defaming the state under Section 505(A) and also charged under Section 17-1 of the Unlawful Association Act. As a result, she was sentenced to a prison term of 6 years.
Similarly, her father, U Nyi Pu was transferred from Sittwe Prison in Rakhine State to Insein Prison in Yangon in May, Ma Kyi Kyi Oo added.
“We have nothing to say about these arbitrary prison transfers. It seems they can simply do whatever they want, don't they?”, she said.
Since the coup staged by the Military Council on February 1st, 2021, U Nyi Pu, along with several members of the Rakhine State government, has been detained.
Following his initial detention, U Nyi Pu was placed under temporary house arrest. However, on February 10th of the same year, he was arrested once more and subsequently transferred to Sittwe Prison.
Then the Military Council charged U Nyi Pu with sedition, corruption, and vote fraud, resulting in a conviction that led to a cumulative prison sentence of 13 years.
A former political prisoner from Rakhine State emphasized that regardless of the adherence to prison department procedures in the transfer of the two individuals, it is essential that they are granted rights that align with human rights standards for prisoners.
"Even if their prison transfers are in line with procedures, if restrictions such as denying medical treatment and preventing family visits are imposed, it would be a clear violation of the prisoners' human rights. We must ensure that prisoners' rights are protected within the bounds of the law”, he emphasized.
U Nyi Pu and her daughter were granted the opportunity to meet their family members once during the verdicts of their prison sentences in June. Furthermore, when U Nyi Pu underwent eye surgeries at an eye specialist hospital in Tamwe Township on May 25th and June 16th, he was again given permission to have family visits.
"The left eye isn't as good as it used to be due to the delayed treatment, resulting in continued blurry vision. The right eye has fully recovered and returned to normal. I am relieved that the surgery was granted”, Ma Kyi Kyi Oo said.
During his imprisonment, U Nyi Pu’s cataract condition deteriorated, prompting his family members to repeatedly request medical treatment for him. After approximately six months, he was granted permission to undergo cataract surgery.
The family has confirmed that both U Nyi Pu and Ma Moe San Suu Kyi are in good health despite the recent prison transfers.
