Written by Aung Khaing
The Sittwe prison in Arakan state in Burma is a hell hole. Conditions in the prison are appalling and have been deteriorating by the day with prison wardens continuing to torture, maim and kill inmates. Prisoners are used as beasts of burden and made to plough paddy fields, cultivate and perform other forms of hard labour, according to prisoners who have escaped from the jail.
| The hell that is Sittwe prison |  |
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Prisoners who fled the prison said they were sent to plough paddy fields without any cattle and were not given proper meals and clean water to drink.
Aung Marm, an escaped prisoner from Sittwe prison said, "If prison wardens were not bribed, we were severely tortured and sent for hard labour such as farming, cultivating, and carrying water. But we did not get to eat the fruits of our hard work."
Another prisoner who escaped from Sittwe, Khaing Marm San said, "We were beaten by the prison authorities if we did not maintain discipline or obey their orders. I did not understand them because they also beat us even if we obeyed their orders."
The first jail in Burma was established by the British in 1824 in Sittwe, about 590 miles northeast of Rangoon, in Arakan state, western Burma.
The prison in Sittwe currently houses about 1,000 prisoners of whom about 100 are women and 25 are children. The prisoners are said to be deprived of proper medical care as medical supplies are inadequate. Moreover, the prison wardens indulge in corruption, selling medical supplies meant for prisoners for their personal gain.
"We do not get any treatment at the prison clinic. Even if we are seriously ill and approach the clinic for medicines and medication, no body cares us," Aung Marm said.
Despite the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) providing medicines for prisoners, the medicines never reach the prisoners, said Aung Marm. So, the only way to get treatment was to bribe the authorities or even the doctors, he added.
"They [authorities] never gave us any medicine and would sell them outside. Though we wanted to tell the ICRC officials the truth, we were afraid that we would be tortured by the prison authorities later," Aung Marm said.
"We worried that if we did inform the ICRC of the true situation in the prison, conditions would worsen and prisoners' suffering would increase," Aung Marm added.
Aung Marm, an escaped prisoner from Sittwe prison said, "If prison wardens were not bribed, we were severely tortured and sent for hard labour such as farming, cultivating, and carrying water. But we did not get to eat the fruits of our hard work."
Another prisoner who escaped from Sittwe, Khaing Marm San said, "We were beaten by the prison authorities if we did not maintain discipline or obey their orders. I did not understand them because they also beat us even if we obeyed their orders."
The first jail in Burma was established by the British in 1824 in Sittwe, about 590 miles northeast of Rangoon, in Arakan state, western Burma.
The prison in Sittwe currently houses about 1,000 prisoners of whom about 100 are women and 25 are children. The prisoners are said to be deprived of proper medical care as medical supplies are inadequate. Moreover, the prison wardens indulge in corruption, selling medical supplies meant for prisoners for their personal gain.
"We do not get any treatment at the prison clinic. Even if we are seriously ill and approach the clinic for medicines and medication, no body cares us," Aung Marm said.
Despite the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) providing medicines for prisoners, the medicines never reach the prisoners, said Aung Marm. So, the only way to get treatment was to bribe the authorities or even the doctors, he added.
"They [authorities] never gave us any medicine and would sell them outside. Though we wanted to tell the ICRC officials the truth, we were afraid that we would be tortured by the prison authorities later," Aung Marm said.
"We worried that if we did inform the ICRC of the true situation in the prison, conditions would worsen and prisoners' suffering would increase," Aung Marm added.
"We were tortured if we told the truth to the ICRC officials during their inspection trips and were beaten at least seven to 15 times with bamboo or wooden sticks," Khaing Marm San said.
Since prisoners are not given proper meals, many prisons suffer from malnutrition and some even said they lost their taste for food.
Despite the hard work prisoners are made to do in the paddy fields and at plantations they never get to see the fruits of their hard labour not to mention reaping it.
"We do not even get to eat the fruits and crops that are obtained from our hard work but the prison authorities would sell them all. The authorities would sell even rice bags from the supply meant for prisoners. So, there was never enough food to eat," Aung Marm said.
In 2004, while there were about 1,800 prisoners there was only one well for drinking water. And the water in the well was filthy and unhygienic and it caused sickness to a lot of prisoners, added Aung Marm.
Death has become acceptable in Sittwe prison. At least two to three prisoners die everyday with most of the deaths caused by diseases, starvation and hard work, according to prisoners escaping the inhuman prison conditions.
During December 2005, diarrhea broke out in the prison and about 80 inmates were hospitalized and 12 died. Many believe that the 12 men would have escaped death if they were sent to hospitals outside the prison, Aung Marm said.
Since prisoners are not given proper meals, many prisons suffer from malnutrition and some even said they lost their taste for food.
Despite the hard work prisoners are made to do in the paddy fields and at plantations they never get to see the fruits of their hard labour not to mention reaping it.
"We do not even get to eat the fruits and crops that are obtained from our hard work but the prison authorities would sell them all. The authorities would sell even rice bags from the supply meant for prisoners. So, there was never enough food to eat," Aung Marm said.
In 2004, while there were about 1,800 prisoners there was only one well for drinking water. And the water in the well was filthy and unhygienic and it caused sickness to a lot of prisoners, added Aung Marm.
Death has become acceptable in Sittwe prison. At least two to three prisoners die everyday with most of the deaths caused by diseases, starvation and hard work, according to prisoners escaping the inhuman prison conditions.
During December 2005, diarrhea broke out in the prison and about 80 inmates were hospitalized and 12 died. Many believe that the 12 men would have escaped death if they were sent to hospitals outside the prison, Aung Marm said.
Bribery is a common phenomenon in the prison, and is practiced by most of the prisoners. Most prisoners in Sittwe prison bribe the authorities to receive adequate treatment and to avoid being sent for hard labour or not to be used as human shields or mine sweepers in the frontlines in conflict zones.
"I paid the prison authorities Kyat 50,000 twice not to be sent to battle-fields or labour camps, but the last time I could not afford to pay the money, so I had no choice but accept if I were to be sent to the frontline," said Aung Marm.
"If we did not want to go to battle-fields as prisoner-porters, we had to pay a large amount of money. Prison officials ask for money to free prisoners from all work. Since I could not afford to pay money, I followed them," Aung Marm San said.
Prisoners, not only in Sittwe but through out the country are reported to be suffering in a similar manner in deteriorating prison conditions where there is restriction in freedom of speech, reading books, and other activities.
Many prominent Burmese politicians, including Arakanese political prisoners and student leader Min Ko Naing were detained in Sittwe prison before being released.
"I paid the prison authorities Kyat 50,000 twice not to be sent to battle-fields or labour camps, but the last time I could not afford to pay the money, so I had no choice but accept if I were to be sent to the frontline," said Aung Marm.
"If we did not want to go to battle-fields as prisoner-porters, we had to pay a large amount of money. Prison officials ask for money to free prisoners from all work. Since I could not afford to pay money, I followed them," Aung Marm San said.
Prisoners, not only in Sittwe but through out the country are reported to be suffering in a similar manner in deteriorating prison conditions where there is restriction in freedom of speech, reading books, and other activities.
Many prominent Burmese politicians, including Arakanese political prisoners and student leader Min Ko Naing were detained in Sittwe prison before being released.