Landmine kills inmate and driver during Myanmar prison transfer

Two people died and five others were injured when the truck taking them from Sagaing region’s Monywa prison to prisons in Mandalay region hit a landmine, a member of a pro-democracy group told RFA Thursday.

The 12-wheel truck was the lead vehicle in a convoy with four other military vehicles, taking around 100 political prisoners to Obo and Myingyan prisons on Wednesday afternoon.

Civil Disobedience Movement doctor, 33-year-old Zaw Htwel Aung and the unnamed driver of the truck were both killed when the vehicle hit a mine near Monywa township’s Myay Ne village, according to Aung Nay Myo of the Monywa People’s Strike Steering Committee.

He said another political prisoner, Arkar Nyein Chan, who was shackled to the doctor was critically injured.

Dr. Zaw Htwel Aung was serving a 10 year prison sentence for alleged terrorism offenses.

Thike Tun Oo, a Political Prisoners Network official, told RFA the doctor died on the way to hospital..

“We know that about five people were critically injured along with him,” he said.

“And we heard that another mine was triggered when they drove a bit further and about 20 more people were injured.”

It’s not known who laid the landmines on the Sagaing-Mandalay road.

The junta has not released a statement on the incident. RFA called the junta’s Sagaing region spokesperson, Tin Than Win, but there was no response.

Three months earlier, two women political prisoners were injured when the vehicle they were in hit a landmine as it traveled from Monywa prison along the same road.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.