Appendix 19

Yu Yu Hlaing was sentenced to two years imprisonment, even though she was not involved in politics. She delivered her child in the prison with much difficulty.

Who arrested you? How did they interrogate you?
Four people from Police Special Branch came to my house. They told me that they had a letter for me from my husband. I followed them to take my letter. When I arrived at their office they said that they brought me to question me about my husband. They asked me many questions. “Where was your husband?” “What was he doing?” And so on. I answered, “We were married three months ago. Now he's working at a construction site,” They did not believe me and asked questions using various tactics. They doubted that my husband wasn't participating in some political affairs. At times, they tried to make me feel angry towards my husband. For example, they said, “Maybe your husband married another woman. That’s why he left you in Kawthaung.”

Was there any woman participating in the interrogation or guarding you?
No, there was not. Only the four people who brought me to their office did it. They interrogated me day and night for seven days. I gave the same memorized answers. I was interrogated in lock-up of Kawthaung Police Station at night and in day. I was brought by motorbike to their office on the Strand Road.

Were you beaten while you were interrogated?
No, I wasn't. Three of them tried to beat me but the other one stopped them because of my pregnancy. I received a few kinds of torture, like being deprived of food and drink for a whole day. A few days after, I was given a little food and drink. My family sent some food for me but the authorities did not accept it. The other prisoners had sympathy for me and secretly shared their quota of food. The food was some rice, which was not very white. The curries were the boiled beans soup and small amount of fish paste (Ngapi). At that time, the Kawthaung prison was under construction. So the woman prisoners were sent to the Mergui Prison.

What happened after the interrogation?
I was sentenced to two years in prison for passing the border and going into Thailand unofficially, by the Immigration Law Act 13-1, unofficially going to other country. After a week, I was sent to Mergui Prison and my family arranged to appeal to a court of law.

How did you live and have food in the Mergui prison?
I got three longyies (sarong), three traditional jackets, and one blanket but no pillow. I heard that the authorities used to provide two blankets. Actually, we needed two, one for blanketing and another for using as a bed sheet. The rice was very rough and red. The boiled beans soup was black. The fish paste was very smelly. I ate them because I had no other choice. Most of the prisoners lived on the very poor support of the prison’s authorities. Some poor prisoners were given some food by prisoners who received food supplies from home. We did not receive all food and items from our families since prison guards confiscated whatever uncontrolled items they wanted.

How was your health in the prison?
I was in poor health at times.

Did you receive a medical treatment?
Only some ointments were supplied to us. We were not given any pills.

Did you have good relationships with the other prisoners? What did you see?
Yes, I did. They were surprised when they knew about my case. They consoled and encouraged me. I met a woman who was sentenced three years in prison for the Immigration Act, unofficially going to Thailand. I empathized with her, as she was a pregnant woman like me. She delivered her child in the prison. After she gave birth she could not breastfeed her child enough, as she was malnourished. When I delivered my child her child was six months old. The child was so small because of malnutrition. Her family could not see or send any support to her, since they lived in Rangoon. So nobody cared for her. Her child cried very loudly when he/she was hungry, especially at night. Some prisoners complained. She felt depressed and tried to kill the child many times. When the jailer became aware of this she was punished with beatings by cane. Still, the child was not cared for or bottle-fed by the jailer. I could breastfeed my child three days after delivery. I breastfed her child during the day, but I couldn't at night because I was placed to sleep in upstairs and they were placed in downstairs. So the child was still hungry and cried at night.

Were you assigned any work?
Yes, I was. I was assigned to the cleaning section, making cheroots section, and human waste cleaning section. The human waste cleaning was very hard work. Some people aren't able to do it. Prisoners used plastic pots covered by plastic bag for defecating. After defecating, sewage plastic bags were discarded in large metal barrels. Prisoners bought plastic bags with their own money. I bought plastic bags before I was sent to Mergui prison, as I had been told to do by the other prisoners in Kawthaung prison. I was assigned to carry the large metal sewage barrels from upstairs to the refuse tank and throw them away. It was so hard. I was so upset and tired after working. I felt bad, as I was punished with the hard and bad job even though I was innocent. I had two colleagues for sewage work. We had a week off from work after working one week. Two people are needed to carry the sewage barrel. If one person does not work the other two have to do all the work. I had no chance to rest the whole time. I worked as much as I could, and worked right up to my due date. I did not have as much pressure to do the heavy lifting job then but I was still assigned to work in making cheroots section.

What brand of cheroots did you make in there? How many cheroots were you given to finish in one day?
I don’t remember the brand.
I finished 200 (or) 300 round. I was just a helper to the others, but while working I could not take rest. In-charge persons of the working sections who were prisoners always watched us. Jail staff were not checking whole day. Normally, prisoner in-charges watched us. If they saw someone who did not follow their instructions she was beaten. These in-charges were not good people. They showed favoritism to the prisoners who gave them some money. An old lady prisoner, who had been a trader, did not work any job in the prison since she gave about four thousands baht to the in-charge.

Cleaning jobs were to pick up the garbage on the ground. Prisoners watched the whole area during their shift. When a jail guard threw something on the ground, the cleaner had to pick it up and send it to the rubbish tank. Anyone who didn't do this was punished with sitting and standing five times. If a prisoner fought with someone, one of them would be placed in the isolated cell and the other would be hit on her cheek until the skin tore and blood came out. I saw a victim shivering, in a lot of pain.

How did the guards help you when you delivered your child?
They didn’t help at all. Only the prisoners helped me, but I needed to give them 500 kyats, some food or something useful to them if I could afford it. After I was released from the prison, I saw them and gave some presents to them.

How could you have baby’s nappies for your child?
No, I didn’t have any baby’s nappy. I used my sarongs for my baby’s nappy. After delivering, I did not breastfeed my baby for three days. I tried to allow myself to breastfeed my child by drinking a lot of nutritious soup. I requested that I be allowed to cook soup for myself because we were not allowed to cook in the prison, but I was refused. I had only the soup provided by the jail. I put just some pepper in the soup and drank it.

Did your family come and see you?
No, they couldn't. It is too far from my town. But they sent some money to the prison authorities. I received only half of it because guards deducted half for themselves. The rest could be used for only a short time.

Can you talk about having baths in the prison?
We were entitled to four or three small cups of the water for having bath. It was not enough even to have a bath. I needed some more water for washing my child’s nappy and clothes in addition. I used the used bathwater for washing my child clothes. One day, I was abused badly by the jailer because I was washing my child’s nappies using the water, which she used while she was having bath. So she stopped me from my washing the clothes.

Did she also use only four cups?
No, she did not. She used as much as she wanted.

Do you know ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross)?
No, I don’t.

What happened after you were released?
I went back to my home. I haven’t lived in my home recently.

You were released. Why haven't you lived your home?
The same MI who arrested me visited my house very often. They asked me many questions. My family and I were afraid I would be arrested again. That’s why I left my house. My family pushed me to go in hurry.

Do you have any more to add concerning this experience?
I won the appeal against the sentence after five and a half months of my stay in prison. I was released after another half month. It was ten days after delivering my baby. I did not have any remission day.