Ethnic prisoner not allowed talking in mother tongue

IMNA
24 Jun 2008

Ethnic prisoners in Insein prison are not allowed to talk in their mother tongue while meeting their family following the shooting of prisoners during Cyclone Nargis.

Following the shooting, political prisoners have to face more restrictions in terms food and contacts with their family.

It is jus not restrictions of the mother tongue, prisoners are not allowed to meet family members but just allowed to talk over microphones in Burmese.

"We are not allowed to meet but talk over the phone which is barred with iron. We are not allowed to talk in Mon and the guards listen closely to what we say," a family member of Mon political prisoner who went to Insein prison told IMNA.

"It is difficult for prisoners who don't have money to buy food from outside. Prisoners are served bad food and it is dangerous to eat such food over a long period," she added.

The restriction began after 36 prisoners were shot dead when the cyclone struck on May 3 nights. The prisoners were warming themselves over a fire which spread in the prison with the wind blowing, the Assistant Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said.

Many prisoners started running and the prison guards shot at the prisoners killing 36, AAPP said.

Before this, political prisoners were allowed to meet each other and freely talk and were given better food. But now they get rotten rice which was damaged by the cyclone.

Although International Committee of the Red Cross replaced it with better rice but the authorities only fed the prisoners with it for a few days in mid of May and switched to the rotten rice again.