U Htway Myint’s health deteriorates

DVB ( July 22,2003 )

While the ICRC is trying to meet new political prisoners of Dipeyin (Tabayin) incident, the health conditions of old political prisoners who are being detained in Insein Prison are said to be deteriorating.

One of the worst sufferers is the vice-chairman of Democracy Party, U Htway Myint. He was re-hospitalised in Rangoon General Hospital’s prisoners ward on the 27th of June, said his son U Sann Myint Aye as follows:

U Sann Myint Aye : He was transferred from Rangoon General Hospital to Insein Prison on the 2nd of June. On the 27th, they re-transferred him from Insein Prison to Rangoon general Hospital because of his worsening illness. He is now in the hospital. His condition was such that the doctors had to give their attention all the time. But as the political situation worsened, they sent him and U Win Tin back to the prison. Now that his condition deteriorates again, they took him back to the hospital again. At the moment, they are treating him. The ICRC also supports him a little bit. They came to see him two days ago. I don’t know about the condition of U Win tin. I lost contact with him.

The renowned journalist U Win Tin and U Htway Myint had been treated together in Rangoon General Hospital until the 2nd of June when they were sent back to Insein Prison because of the political instability. U Htway Myint was sent back to the hospital on the 27th of June on account of his deteriorating health condition but U Win Tin is still being detained in the prison.

The health conditions of other MPs who are being treated in prison clinics are said to be dire. The condition of Dr. Than Nyein, the MP of No.1, Kyauktan Township Constituency is said to be very worrying, according to his wife Daw Khin Aye. She said that the ICRC’s medical staff discovered his chronic gastric problems recently.

The family members of other political prisoners are saying that the conditions of their loved ones are deteriorating day by day. According to the NLD’s Social Support, there are more than 120 political prisoners whose health conditions are not good and their conditions are being reported to the ICRC.

According to the Amnesty International, there were around 1300 political prisoners in Burma before the Dipeyin incident. An official of the organisation told the DVB that the latest figure of political prisoners is still unavailable as it is still difficult to confirm the precise number of people arrested in connection with the incident.