SHWEBO, Myanmar — Female political prisoners in central Myanmar are being forced to live on meager food scraps remaining only after prison guards have fed their own families and livestock, according to reports emerging from Shwebo Prison.
Sources close to the facility in the Sagaing Region allege a disturbing hierarchy within the prison’s food distribution system. Political detainees are reportedly the last to be served, receiving only what is left over after guards have prioritized their household meals and the slop fed to pigs and dogs raised on the premises.
When prisoners have attempted to ask for adequate portions, they have reportedly faced threats from prison officials.
“If they ask for more rice because the rations are insufficient, they are met with verbal abuse,” a source told MPA. “Wardress Daw Sandar Mu has reportedly threatened detainees, warning them that if even a single grain of rice is found in the trash bins, they will face severe consequences.”
The daily diet for these women is described as nutritionally void. On days when meat is supposed to be served, detainees typically receive only a single egg. Other meals consist largely of thin vegetable soups made from radish or mustard leaves.
The humanitarian crisis within Shwebo Prison extends to basic hygiene and drinking water. With the prison’s water purification system reportedly broken, detainees are forced to use bathing water for drinking.
Despite offers from external donors to provide clean bottled water, prison authorities have reportedly blocked donations, citing “public image concerns.” Instead, guards are allegedly selling bottled water to the inmates at inflated prices. A 20-liter jug is being sold for 6,500 Kyat (approx. $3 USD), significantly higher than the market rate outside the walls.
Ma Zu Zu May Yun, a leading member of the Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM), stated that the denial of adequate food and medicine is a direct violation of the right to life.
“We are not asking for the impossible,” she said. “These women are human beings. They deserve to live with dignity and have access to sufficient food. Forcing them to live under these conditions is a grave violation of human rights.”
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), since the February 2021 coup, more than 30,000 people have been arrested across Myanmar, including over 6,000 women. As the sham government continues to tighten its grip on the penal system, the conditions for those held behind bars—particularly dissidents—remain a focal point of international concern.
