Price Hike Enhances Hungry Prisoners’ Suffering

Sittwe, Feb 9: Prisoners and detainees are suffering due to insufficient food supplied by jail authorities due to a price spiral that has drastically reduced the purchasing power the jail's food supplier,a source from the police commented.

In Maung Daw police prison, the food contractor has to supply the prison by begging from the public due to insufficient food supplied by them as per contract rate.

A supplier to the prisoners from Maung Daw said, ”Previously 10 kyat a day for food per prisoner was possible, but today this government grant is too low to buy food for them.”

The junta government grants 10 kyat for food to a prisoner per day. Today this grant of 10 kyat is just enough to buy a sweet for a baby.

According to a Maung Daw police source, the situation of the prisoners is increasingly deteriorating as the price of foodstuff is skyrocketing all over Arakan State. Previous groundnut cooking oil price was 1500 kyat per viss (1.75 Kilo), which has risen to 1800 kyat, at the same time the price of onions per viss has risen from 600 to 900 kyat.

A police officer from Maung Daw Police Station said, “We, servicemen are badly affected by the price spiral, not to mention the prisoners’ plight, theirs is more serious”.

As the money allotted by the government for the prisoners is insufficient, the inmates try to feed themselves by buying food from outside with whatever cash in hand. These inmates who cannot afford to buy food become the victims of starvation.

At present prisoners need a lot of money not only for running suits in the court but also for feeding themselves in the prison, said a lawyer from Maungdaw township court.