Eight hunger strikers reportedly held in cells designed to hold dogs, Amnesty International says
BANGKOK (AlertNet) – Fifteen male political prisoners who are on a hunger strike at Insein prison in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, are denied drinking water and some are being held in cells designed to hold dogs, Amnesty International said in a statement released on Friday.
The hunger strike is in protest over political prisoners in Myanmar, commonly denied the reductions in their sentences which are allowed to criminal convicts, Amnesty said.
“Depriving prisoners of drinking water as a punishment for participating in a hunger strike could result in the prison authorities being responsible for the rapid death of the hunger strikers due to dehydration,” the statement said.
“This would amount to a violation (of) the right to life according to international law, including in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” it added.
The UK-based rights group said eight of the 15 hunger strikers were reportedly moved to dog cells that are about 3 metres in length and just over 2 metres wide.
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