The ICRC said that they are hoping to get access to the prisons again.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that after meeting with the deputy leader of the coup army this month in Nay Pyi Taw, they are hoping to be allowed to visit and study the prisoners again.
"We look forward to resuming visits to victims and improving access to communities most affected by conflict and violence," said Director Martin Schüepp, according to the ICRC's March 10th statement.
A delegation led by Martin Schüepp, ICRC's operational director, met with the deputy head of the coup army in Nay Pyi Taw on the 8th of this month.
During the meeting, the military council announced that they discussed humanitarian aid issues, including allowing the families of prisoners banned due to the Covid-19 to meet again.
The press release of the military council did not mention that the ICRC had discussed the opportunity to visit the prisoners again.
In order to control the spread of the Covid-19 disease, meetings between prisoners and their family members were banned since the last government, except for giving letters to the prison.
In addition, international organizations such as the ICRC have not been allowed to study in prisons since the outbreak of Covid-19. The community of political prisoners and observers have criticized the fact that such international organizations are not allowed to enter and study.
"Torture and financial fraud have increased, prison laws have been violated, and after 2021, there have been a lot of beatings and blackmailing of prisoners, not prison staff, but if they (ICRC) come in, we think they will be able to solve these ongoing issues," said a Justice Hluttaw lawyer.
However, the military council has yet to give in to the ICRC's demands for re-entry into the prisons and for the detainees to be reunited with their families.
A team led by Christine Cipolla, Director of ICRC for Asia and the Pacific, visited Myanmar in 2022 to meet with the military council's interior, He said that the ministries, including health, met with the officials and requested to return to the prisons, but the military council did not accept it.
U Tun Kyi, a member of the Political Prisoners Association (FPPS) Steering Committee, said that there is still no way to reduce the violent repression in prisons as there is no result in the talks between the Military Council and the ICRC.
"Many political prisoners, including prisoners, have been locked up until now; I have been blocked from entering the prison. Until now, they are still oppressed and tortured. At the moment, I don't see that there will be any change regarding those things," he said.
In addition, even if the military council complied with the ICRC's demands, since it would have to follow the instructions, there would be no aid and rescue for the prisoners and the public in need of help, said Mathinza Xunlei, a political activist.
"Since we have signed with the military group and followed their road map, there is no real relief for the public damage, they will not give them (the military group's) violations and they will not ask them to record them," he said.
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