20 Political Prisoners Among Dozens of Inmates Killed by Myanmar Quake, Groups Say

The massive earthquake that struck central Myanmar on March 28 killed 30 prisoners including 20 political prisoners and wounded more than 280 others, according to seven organizations helping political prisoners.

The organizations—which include the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar (PPNM), the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, the Karenni Political Prisoners Association, the Women’s Organization of Political Prisoners and the Former Political Prisoners Association—released a joint statement on Sunday reporting on political prisoner casualties caused by the disaster.

Thousands of prisoners including hundreds of political prisoners arbitrarily jailed by the regime are being kept in Obo Prison, the second-largest prison in Myanmar after Yangon’s Insein Prison.