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Jailed activist refused medical treatment
Irrawaddy - March 15, 2011
Ko Htwe – Thet Thet Aung, a member of the 88 Generation Students group, who is serving a 65-year prison term, has been refused medical treatment despite suffering for over a month with stomach cramps and hypertension, according to her mother.
After visiting her daughter in Myingyan Prison, 396 miles from Rangoon, on Thursday, Su Su Kyi said that the prison doctor checks Thet Thet Aung once a week, but that she needs additional medical treatment.
"She [Thet Thet Aung] said she was not well over a month ago," said Su Su Kyi. "She takes an injection every day but is not getting better. I took some medicine to her because the provisions in prison are poor quality. The food she is fed is also bad."
Su Su Kyi said she tried to inform the prison officials, but they did not meet with her.
According to official data, Burma's prison system has 34 doctors, 19 medical attendants and 22 nurses catering to a total of 248,664 prisoners and detainees in 44 prisons and 109 labor camps across the country.
The figures suggest that there is one doctor for every 7,314 prisoners.
"My daughter is losing weight and her face is full of blemishes," said Su Su Kyi. "I can see she is pretending to smile when I visit her. I feel so worried. I only have one daughter."
Thet Thet Aung is the mother of three boys, aged 11, nine and six. The youngest was still being breastfed when his mother was arrested in 2007.
Thet Thet Aung's husband, Chit Ko Lay, who is also a member of the pro-democracy group, was sentenced to 11 years and is serving his term in Pakokku Prison in Magwe Division. Thet Thet Aung's aunt, San San Tin, and her cousin, Noe Noe, also both members of the 88 Generation Students group, were sentenced to a minimum of six years imprisonment.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), based in Mae Sot, Thailand, there are 2,076 political prisoners across Burma, 157 of whom are women. AAPP said 152 political prisoners are in bad health, and 146 have died in custody since 1987.
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