The following is the clarification made by Director-Genera of Myanmar Police Force Brig-Gen Khin Yi on situation in prisons in Myanmar at the press conference on undertakings in education, health and social sectors of the State in Nya Pyi Taw on 28th November 2006.
Whilst clarifying the unfounded allegations towards Myanmar, I would further like to report a summary of the situation in our prisons that have been wrongly accused in the news media.
Myanmar took a considerable length of time to uphold the Union as a united entity, forge national solidarity, work towards prevalence of law and order with peaceful and secure living condition and at the same time, managed to cultivate the basic prerequisite of building trust between ethnic nationals and have placed emphasis on the development of the country by laying down programs incomparable to any undertakings in past eras.
This scenario for peaceful development of a new country is something that the internal and external destructive elements, together with opposition groups should welcome warmly. Instead, they are now stirring the tranquillity of our country with an aim to totally destroy Myanmar by attacking from all possible fronts. Local stooges are particularly active in broadcasting propaganda and fabricated information liberally that can generate suspicion and insolence against the Government by the people. This is done in collusion with external mass media organizations, TV and radio stations and through Internet. Disregarding the prescribed ethics for news media, codes of conduct and accepted norms, they are deliberately inflating the wrong and unfounded information to create misunderstanding among the people. I will elaborate on the situation in our prisons, citing actual happenings, which is one of the many fabricated tales the destructive elements have created through the media, for all of us to realize and understand.
From overabundant amorphous tell tales on prisons, I would like to highlight the propagations coming from Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) and some of the external broadcasting stations:

- DVB station broadcast on 23 June 2006 on a dysentery outbreak in Insein prison that is worrisome for prisoners;
- DVB station broadcast on 29 June 2006 on Government stopping food supplies to prisoners and the need for prison staff members to find its own ways to feed them, the absence of medical doctor in prisons creating health problems for long term prisoners and the development of gastric ulcers among prisoners from low quality rice they were fed;
- DVB station broadcast on 1 August 2006 on the absence of health care within prisons with prisoners having to depend on unsafe water and food with no nutritional values;
- Myitzima station broadcast on 15 August 2006 on prisoners suffering from malaria, diarrhea and malnutrition from hard labor in Buthidaung prison in Rakhine State;
- DVB station broadcast on 22 August 2006 on prisoners having to sleep on concrete floors causing hypertension and strokes without proper medical care in Toungoo prison;
- DVB broadcast on 4 September 2006 on the absence of proper medical care in prisons and refusal to refer to outside specialists and hospitals;
- DVB broadcast on 6 November 2006 quoting the declaration of Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) that state that the prisoners are not receiving their fully receiving their share of food, living conditions, medical care, that prison authorities are reluctant to provide protection to prisoners and that there are no medical doctors in most prisons and ;
- Myitzima station broadcast on 8 November 2006 on severe beatings of prisoners on arrival at Thayawady and Thayet prisons, finding faults to put into solitary confinement, to beat up, to bar from bathing and to give punishments, torturing physically and mentally and, finding fault and punishing for unwrapping cheroot butts to read are the allegations that exist.

There was even an open letter sent to the Secretary General of the United Nations on 15 November 2006 by AAPP requesting to take action against the increasing death tolls due to sub standard medical facilities within prisons.
If we are to examine the allegations I have just reported, we will find that most of them are premised on the absence of medical care, poor quality food, illegal punishments and uncaring attitudes towards prisoners. All these allegations are negating the reality and would like to take this opportunity to clarify the actual situation of our prisons to members of the press and to distinguished guests present here.
Our Head of State, when visiting No (2) new life agriculture camp under the Prisons Department on 22 January 1999, laid down the following directives for a change in the management system of Prisons Department:

- attempts should be made to turn prisoners into productive people once they are released, to be able to support the country in one way or another, to strive towards increasing productivity, to try and enhance their status from lowly prisoners to good and useful people, to establish rehabilitation centres and to enable to dismiss prisoners mentality;
- as labour contributors, to provide newspapers, journals, TVs and radios so that they will constantly be in touch with the outside world;
- for those labourers who are not accompanied by their families, leaves should be granted for them to go and meet their families during slack seasons with warrants and some travelling allowance provided so that they will not breed evil thoughts from long separations from their spouses and families and;
- the new life agriculture production camp should join hands with neighbouring villages, teach them cultivation methods and to extend help and assistance to poor and elderly people. Distinguished guests will understand that such directives stems from compassion and goodwill towards the prisoners.
In line with the directives laid down by the Head of State, the Prisons Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs is making resolute efforts, through multi dimensional approach, towards a change in the religious, health, social, education, welfare, food consumption and living environment of the prisoners so that they will become productive people once released from prisons. These efforts have resulted in noticeable changes between prisons in the past and the present ones. I would like to highlight some of the changes made through the process. In the religious environment:
- all the prisoners enjoy freedom of religion and can worship any religion of their choice;
- whether they are Buddhist, Islam or other faith believers, arrangements are being made for them to go on Sabbath if they wish;
- for prisons’ labour camps that do not have Buddha statues, the Director-General or the Deputy Director-General, during their tours to these camps will carry a Buddha statue for Buddhist prisoners and have it enshrined, together with prisoners for them to earn good deeds;
- morning and evening praying sessions are organized daily for Buddhist prisoners as part of an effort to ease their state of mind;
- meditation sessions are also organized occasionally and every fortnight, monks are brought to the prisoners’ living quarters in turn to preach, inscriptions of Buddha teachings are hung on the walls of every sleeping quarters, prayer recital competitions are held between different quarters and arrangements are made for prisoners, both males and females, to participate in religious events like Waso robe offerings, Kathina robe offerings and to other good deeds like contributing to monastery constructions, listening to preaches, etc.

If we look into the health care facilities that are being provided to prisoners, you will see that:
- prisoners of both sexes are urged to take morning exercise every day for 30 minutes as soon as their living quarters are opened;
- on Independence Day every year, sport competitions are held within the prison compound such as hiking around the prison as well as volley ball and table tennis matches;
- medication for prisons and labour camps are issued free of charge on a biannual basis from the medical depot of the Department of Health and the need for additional medicines and hospital equipment are supplement form the Government budget. From officially published records, we can see that the Government had supplemented a total of 2,035,010 kyats for 2004-05 fiscal year and 2,470,887 kyats for 2005-06 fiscal year. Likewise, the Ministry of Home Affairs supplemented a total of 6,598,870 kyats for 2004-05 fiscal year and 9,843,964 kyats for 2005-06 fiscal year from funds accumulated either from the fees generated by prisoners working in production camps or from their welfare funds.
- for almost every prisons with hospitals, doctors and nurses are especially assigned and for smaller prisons and labour camps without hospitals, outside township medical officers visited these places every week with health assistants and medical orderlies providing additional medical care and medical records are filed systematically;
- for cases that are difficult to manage at smaller prisons and labour camps, patients are referred to respective general hospitals or to specialists and occasional, even let them treated through cost sharing basis and;
- from daily records kept by prison authorities, we learn that sleeping quarters are regularly inspected by the authorities to ensure proper lighting and ventilation and insecticides are sprayed on a regular basis to keep away mosquitoes, flies, ticks and mites. This verifies that the authorities have not neglected the health and hygiene of both male and female prisoners.
- We find that the labour camp authorities see to it that the visiting family members have assess to food and sleeping facilities, that responsible officials and members of NGOs visit prisoners to provide required counselling and educational information, that round discussion sessions are held for prisoners to share their personal experiences with their peers so that they have no regrets and that plans are in place for prisoners to enable them to tread their life with dignity in future as reformed persons.
At the same time education and trainings are provided to foreigners to enable them to lead a honest life and make a decent living once they are released from prison setting which include:
- as part of vocational programs, training sessions on weaving, cane crafts, auto and machine mechanics, knitting, painting, sculpture, sewing, photo mechnics, foot wear manufacturing, furniture, agriculture and livestock breeding are held for prisoners. In Insein prison, worksites outside the prison settings are established to engage prisoners in agriculture, livestock breeding and rock excavation works and for young prisoners who are involved in establishing prisoners’ funds, vocational as well as academic trainings are provided. To cite an example, in the academic year 2005-06, 35 young prisoners from Central Insein Prison were provided with school education starting from kindergarten to fourth standard and passed the final exams with first, second and third positions.
- during 2006-07 academic year 170 prisoners, both males and females, were provided with school education from kindergarten to tenth standard;
- arrangements are made to enable prisoner to read newspapers, journals and magazines and to watch and listen to radio and TV so that they will not loose track of the developments within and outside the country during their punishment in prisons;
- laws prescribed for prisons allow mothers to keep their infants together in prisons up till four years of age but allowance is made for infants to remain up till six years of age is circumstances warrant;
- for children accompanying their mothers into prisons, nursery schools are opened for them to learn poetry and lessons;
- a rehabilitation centre (Shwe Pyi Thar) for drug addicted prisoners was opened on 6 January 1999 and a total of 756 addicts have been sent there during their prison terms for treatment and rehabilitation;
- care for women centre was opened in Twantay on 5 October 2002 and a total of 938 imprisoned female HIV/AIDS patients and commercial sex workers were sent with systematic measures in place to ensure that HIV is not transmitted further through psychological and physical treatment and rehabilitation programs;
- a similar centre for women was also established in Mandalay on 5 February 2005 and a total of 124 HIV infected prisoners were sent for rehabilitation.

I would now like to explain the activities undertaken for the welfare of the prisoners:
- Myanmar people are inherently good-natured and most enthusiastic donors. Even though the prisoners are undergoing punishment for breaking one of the prevailing laws at one point of time, they are not viewed negatively by prison staff members and are assisting them in every possible ways, including provision of food and amenities together with NGOs who are donating goods with zest and enthusiasm;
- enhanced health consciousness in Insein Prison led to the installation of fly proof latrines in all sleeping quarters and plans are being made to install likewise in other prisons
- as part of modernizing prison visiting rooms, walls are now paved with tiles and fans are installed and for outside living rooms, floors are laid with tiles with modern furniture furnished to upgrade the mental wellbeing of the prisoners;
- at the new life agriculture production camp, prisoners are given leave to return to their families after one year or residence and this is based on the individual prisoner’s character, integrity, determination to work and adherence to prisons’ rules and regulation. From the records of Prisons Department, we learnt that a total of 775 prisoners were granted home leave since 1999.
The Prisons Department is obliging and catering to the food requirements of prisoners and my observations on this aspect are:
- with the arrangement of prisons and camps, freshly cooked meals are served everyday to prisoners for their health with meat, fish and special vegetable dishes served at least once a week from farm produce for prisoners;
- reverse osmosis system water purifying plants worth 43 million kyats is being installed at Insien prison with funds donated from outside sources and the prisoners are getting 3 litres of purified water for their daily consumption. Another water purifying plant worth 1.5 million kyats had also been installed within the female quarter of Lashio prison from funds generated through fund raising activities spearheaded by the Commander of North East Command. Another plant donated for Thayawady prison is now in the process of constructing the building to house the plant and an accompanying tank which should become operational soon
- Donations for installing water purifying plants at Mandalay, Myingyan, Mawlamyine, Myaungmya, Buthidaung, Loikaw and Taunggyi prisons are in receipt now and installation process will commence soon;
- Although there are unfounded allegations on prisoners having to sleep on concrete floors, we find that all prison sleeping quarters are inlaid with wooden coverings and for prisons at cooler regions, adequate blankets are being issued to prisoners and facilities with ample water supplies exist for bathing and washing. And prisoners are provided with soap for bathing and washing on a weekly basis.
In reality, as I have explained earlier, the cost of maintaining the prisons under the Prisons Department and the cost of providing adequate food and supplies to prisoners are borne through the allocated Government budget with the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the arrangement of Prisons Department, supplementing through the funds generated by the prisoners themselves through their labour. In addition, we have witnessed local non-governmental organizations such as Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation, Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association, Myanmar Red Cross Society and Fire Brigades together with outside donors joining hands, as part of our inherent good nature and enthusiasm, contacting the authorities to visit prisons and camps to extending help and assistance enthusiastically in every possible way they can.
Through these help and assistance, prisoners today are enjoying privileges such as basic nutritional diet, adequate health care, rest and recreation during free time, books and literature to read, engage in physical fitness activities and keeping in close contact with their family members.
Both the humanitarian organization and individuals who have lend assistance to prisoners and detainees, like typical Myanmar nationals, are most gratified to be able to contribute to this noble exercise. The individual, who financed the installation of water purifying plant at Insein Prison, also financed the installation of a similar plant at Thayawady prison out of pure compassion. Here, I would like to emphasize the fact that a similar donor, with an aim to purify the lives of people under imprisonment, donated a water purifying plant for the female quarter of Lashio is nothing but a gesture of the inborn nature of Myanmar people not to discriminate its own kind.
There are a total of 42 prisons and 91 labour camps under the management of the Prisons Department, Ministry of Home Affairs out of which all 42 prisons and 7 labour camps are being visited by representatives from humanitarian organizations in Myanmar between October 2005 and November 2006 and met with prisoners and detainees to extend necessary assistance and donate goods of their needs. Their total donations in terms of food stuff, basic necessities, medicines, novels, journals and magazines amounted to more than 75 million kyats (755520787) and the lists are being displayed on board for your review.

As I have explained earlier, external news media, broadcasting stations and destructive elements including AAPP are alleging that:

- Myanmar prisons are not providing nutritional food to prisoners, there are outbreaks of contiguous diseases in the prisons and safe and adequate drinking water is not available therein;
- there are not enough prison doctors;
- prisoners have to sleep on concrete floors and;
- inhuman torture and treatment exist in prisons.
- no opportunities exist to read and study in prisons which are all generalized. As I have explained earlier, members of press and distinguished guests will be in a position to gauge whether these allegations actually reflect the prevailing reality. Specific directives laid down by the Government coupled with close scrutiny at all levels by responsible persons have now changed the present day prison management scenarios in Myanmar.
In other words, the goodwill and concerted efforts of the Government, responsible officials, individual donors and NGOs have led the relationships between prisoners and staff members to evolved into a family like structure where all inherent rights in the fields of health care, social needs, freedom to worship, food requirements, living conditions and welfare facilities call all be enjoyed within the prescribed legal framework. This clearly demonstrates that the unfounded allegations disseminated through external media sources are fabrications directed at discrediting the solidarity of our country.
The Prisons Department, in line with the motto of the Ministry of Home Affairs “Eradicate colonial characteristic, safeguard the interest of the people and the State” is an institute that is extending deserved rights to prisoners in accordance with laid down orders, directives and prescribed jail manuals that are in conformity with prevailing time and circumstances. We have officially announced in various local newspapers that any evidence on individuals who have interacted harshly, suppressed rudely and engaged in acts of torture against prisoners, in defiance to the above mentioned policy, can be reported to responsible authorities including the Ministry of Home Affairs. Actually, this is a formal interpretation of the policy laid down by our Head of State that clearly defines that nobody is above the law. In other words, it means that this is part of the process to establish an orderly democratic system where the prevalence of clean governance is a prerequisite. All I can say at this juncture is that the shameless allegations put forward by internal and external destructive elements together with some international news media runs contrary to the present schemes the Government had been exerting with goodwill for future prosperity of Myanmar.