Authorities at the notorious Insein Prison allegedly orchestrated a violent assault on freelance photojournalist Myat Thu Kyaw and three other political prisoners. According to internal prison sources cited by AAMIJ, the attack was carried out by members of an incarcerated Taiwanese drug syndicate under the direct orders of prison officials.
The incident was reportedly instigated by a prison staff member identified as Htet Paing Soe. Acting on his instructions, members of the Taiwanese gang surrounded and beat the victims. Myat Thu Kyaw sustained severe injuries to his face and arms as a result of the assault.
The gang involved is a prominent Taiwanese drug syndicate convicted in 2015 following a record-breaking seizure of more than two million narcotic pills across Yangon and other locations. Sources say the group maintains “special privileges” within the prison, unlike other inmates, due to substantial bribes paid to prison officials, allowing them to be used as proxies for violence.
Myat Thu Kyaw, a veteran photojournalist who has contributed to Reuters, NurPhoto, and AAMIJ News, was arrested in 2023 while documenting events on Pansodan Street in Yangon.
He was reportedly stabbed in the thigh during his initial interrogation.
He was originally sentenced to three years under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code. Just two months before his scheduled release, he was hit with additional charges under Section 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law. He is now serving a cumulative sentence of 8.5 years in prison.
Myat Thu Kyaw is currently being subjected to physical abuse and solitary confinement in punitive cells. His deteriorating situation has sparked urgent outcry from international press freedom and human rights organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and Article 19.
#aamij#WhatsHappeingInMyanmar#JournalismIsNotACrime#freemyatthukyaw
