Khin Zaw Thet, a member of the Mandalay Strike Force is receiving medical attention in hospital after being beaten by staff during a prison riot in Mandalay’s Obo Prison on 5 June.

He was seriously injured after being beaten by a warden and prison staff who are all employed by the Military Council’s Department of Prisons, according to the Mandalay Strike Force.

The group also claimed that, as well as Khin Zaw Thet, one other prisoner was seriously wounded when he was beaten by prison officials and twelve prisoners were placed in solitary confinement.

One prisoner also died in the riot, though Mizzima has yet to receive independent verification of this.

“Prison officials and political prisoners got into trouble on 5 June, as far as I know, it started in prison cell Number (1). They beat political prisoners behind closed doors. They closed the [cell] doors and beat inmates. During the incident, twelve prisoners were placed in solitary confinement and two inmates were gravely injured according to people close to the prison staff”, said a member of Mandalay Strike Force.

He also added that the exact causes of the riot were currently unknown.

He explained:  'The inmates were forcibly dispersed by prison officials. Prisoners, in my opinion, riot for various reasons. [One is] because prisoners are unable to endure human rights violations. Approximately 50 prison staff dispersed the large groups [of prisoners].”

A Mandalay Strike Force social media post stated: ““Khin Zaw Thet was in good health at the time he was arrested. Anything that happened to him subsequently [after his arrest] will be the responsibility of the Military Council and those involved in the incident. The unjust persecution of political prisoners is strongly condemned as a violation of human rights.”