Myanmar's Political Prisoners: Rearrests and New Charges Amid Ongoing Crackdown

In a troubling development for human rights in Myanmar, the military regime has rearrested 35 political prisoners immediately after they completed their sentences, imposing new charges that have drawn widespread condemnation. According to a report from the Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar (PPNM), these rearrests occurred between January 2025 and October 2026, with a notable incident on October 1 at Sittwe Prison in Arakan State, where 13 prisoners were seized as they were being processed for release.

These individuals were subsequently sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison under Section 50(j) of the Counter-Terrorism Law. The PPNM highlighted that political detainees are routinely excluded from regime amnesties, with only 8,878 political prisoners released out of 132,286 inmates freed during 24 amnesties since the February 2021 coup.

Human rights observers view these extended detentions as a form of retaliation by the regime following military setbacks in Arakan State, where the Arakan Army (AA) has gained control of 14 out of 17 townships in Arakan State and Paletwa Township in Chin State. The regime's counteroffensive, launched on September 4, has reportedly faltered, leading to punitive measures against political detainees. PPNM condemned the regime's actions as blatant violations of international law prohibiting arbitrary detention.

Among the rearrested individuals, four women were included, and they are spread across various facilities nationwide, including Sittwe Prison (13), Kyaukphyu Prison (7), Loikaw Prison (4), Magway Prison (3), Obo Prison (3), Insein Prison (2), Daik-U Prison (2), and Tharyarwaddy Prison (1). The regime has increasingly relied on punitive terrorism charges under Sections 52(a) and 52(b) of the Counter-Terrorism Law, which criminalizes acts of terrorism and extends liability to those who assist or finance terrorism, further extending prison sentences for many political prisoners.

“Women who have been detained as political prisoners in Myanmar paint a deeply disturbing picture of a prison system in which suffering and neglect are both deliberate and routine.”Bryony Lau, Deputy Asia Director, Human Rights Watch

As reported by Myanmar Now, five of 16 political prisoners released from Tharyarwaddy Prison were also immediately re-arrested after completing their sentences. A relative of one of the prisoners stated that junta police did not allow families to see their loved ones after release, indicating a troubling lack of transparency and respect for basic rights. The re-arrested prisoners included Tin Soe (also known as Nat Soe), his wife May Myat Thu, Sai Aung Ngin, Jerry Kaung Htike, and one unnamed man, all detained since early 2021 and sentenced under the Counter-Terrorism Law.

Human Rights Watch has documented severe conditions faced by political prisoners, particularly women, who report torture, sexual violence, and denial of medical care. The organization emphasized that the suffering experienced by women political prisoners reflects a broader pattern of neglect and abuse within the prison system.

Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said that women detained as political prisoners in Myanmar describe a deeply disturbing prison system where suffering and neglect are both deliberate and routine.

As the military regime continues to impose harsh sentences and rearrests, the plight of political prisoners remains a pressing issue, with calls from various human rights organizations for their immediate and unconditional release.