Political Prisoners’ health conditions

October 24, 2003

The political prisoners who were released from Monywa military hospital on the 14 October still need to take medical treatments.

U Than Win, a member of Mandalay’s Chan Aye Tharzan and Ko Win Ko, the chief youth organiser of Mandalay Northeast Township are said to be still suffering from the beatings they received during Dipeyin assault.

Both legs of U Than Win were broken during the assault and Ko Win Ko often loses his memory from the blows he received on his head.

A woman NLD member from Mandalay gave the details of Ko Win Ko’s health condition as follows:

A woman NLD member : His health is not as good as before. He knows who his parents are. He looks rather confused when you ask him questions. Sometimes, he can’t remember his own name. Sometimes, he recognises some people and sometimes he forgets who they are. He often loses his consciousness. His mother told me that his parents are taking him to meditation classes to improve his health.

She also told DVB about U Than Win’s condition:

A woman NLD member : One of his legs is getting better now but the other one is still swollen above the ankle. He is taking treatment with traditional Burmese medicines…When the assault occurred, he was told to alight from the car by the attackers. They then smashed his legs until both of them broke. Then, they told him to get up but he could not do so. He rolled around seven or eight times and fell into a ditch and pretended to be dead. A couple of hours later, armed security staff came back and threw him and other 14 people onto trucks and took them to the military hospital.

Five of the people who were treated at Monywa military hospital after the assault were released during this month and Daw Win Mya Mya was transferred to Shwebo Prison.