Thread on political prisoners: The military has arrested 3059 people since 1 Feb. The figures increase every day as arrests continue. These may not include people who have been arrested or simply disappeared in very remote ethnic areas. 1/18 @aapp_burma #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

You don’t need to be a protester to face arrest or intimidation. You can be a shopkeeper, bystander, CDM supporter, social media user or just an ordinary citizen. There are reports of families members getting arrested when they can’t find a person they want to arrest. 2/18

Doctors, teachers, nurses and others who are involved in CDM are under increased pressure to go back to work or face arrest. After their release, they will have a criminal record which makes it almost impossible to go back to their jobs or find a new job. 3/18

There are many university students who are in jail for protesting & speaking out. It's highly questionable whether they can go back to their studies after their imprisonment. Criminal records for pp is one form of repression by the junta to ostracise activists. 4/18

In February, the military revised Burma's Penal Code to target & arrest anyone who speaks out against the coup. The Code of Criminal Procedure was also amended so they can arrest people without warrants & deny bail. Detailed analysis by @HRW here: https://bit.ly/3wBl1Wp  5/18

Most of the laws in Burma are from colonial era which should be repealed or amended to bring them in line with international human rights standards. Instead, MAL is bringing more repressive laws to oppress freedom of expression, association & others democratic values. 6/18

New 505-A law is widely used to charge people after their arrests. Its broad language - “cause fear, spread false news, agitate directly or indirectly criminal offence against a government employee” make it possible for anyone to be arrested. Punishment is 3 years in prison. 7/18

We still don’t know the location of many detainees & many of them still haven’t been charged. My dad wasn’t charged until 2 months after his arrest. In the midst of everything, we are “lucky” to know his location but many families still don’t know where their loved ones are. 8/18

Politically motivated charges: Student activist, Min Thway Thit, was arrested on the first day of the coup & charged with violating vehicle safety law. Armed Soldiers forcibly arrested U Ko Htwe in Namhsan on 11 Feb & charged him with violating “Covid safety regulations”. 9/18

Trials are being held out of public view & families can’t attend. Some are allowed to have lawyers but hard to know how many are on trial without legal counsel. The whole process is a formality & almost all of them are sentenced under politically motivated charges 10/18

Burma’s prisons are known for being unhygienic & not providing adequate food or healthcare. In the past, some were not even allowed to leave their cells for daily exercise. Families have to provide food, medicines & essentials regularly which put financial toll on them 11/18

Spouses, parents, siblings & families of pp are unsung heroes who support activists in many ways throughout their journey. They take on numerous roles as self-made counsellors, motivators, cooks, friends etc. They don’t often get credit that they deserve. 12/18

Not all families can afford to send food so there are many who have to survive on watery soup, bad rice & fish paste. There is a lovely tradition of political prisoners sharing what they have with each other but it’s still not enough to provide them with essential nutrition 13/18

Currently, family visits are not allowed. What we experienced with my dad in 2007 was a 15-30 min monitored visit every month where you can’t talk openly or even embrace. Still, those moments are precious to see our loved ones & be assured that they are in good health. 14/18

Covid factor: Now prisons are overcrowded as arrests continue. Some have been arrested with injuries. Some of them need regular healthcare for their underlying health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer etc. It’s an increasingly worrying situation for families. 15/18

Not just financial toll but also emotionally taxing. Some families became estranged from each other. Most pp need to readjust their lives outside prison. Some need help financially to restart their lives & mental health support after torture & imprisonment. 16/18

Under dictatorships & successive governments, no former political prisoners receive apology or compensation for being unlawfully arrested. No help for rehabilitation. Orgs like @aapp_burma are not only documenting arrests but also helping current pp and former pp for years 17/18

So, when an individual is arrested unlawfully, there is a huge socio-economic impact on both a political prisoner and family members.Activists know they will face arrest, lifelong trauma & uncertainty when they stand up for freedom & democracy but Burma has countless heroes 18/18