Irrawaddy-June 23
Myanmar’s military regime has rejected the request of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to resume its prison visits and other humanitarian activities and allow family visits. ICRC regional director for Asia-Pacific Christine Cipolla made the request during her visit to Myanmar from June 15-18, when she met junta cabinet members including the defense, home affairs and health ministers, according to a June 20 ICRC statement. In the statement, the ICRC said that it regrets that no agreement on these two points was achieved, but the organization remains determined to continue its work in support of people detained and their families. Prison visits by the ICRC and families of detainees have been suspended since March 2020, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Correctional Department official told The Irrawaddy that the regime has neither allowed nor given particular instructions about the ICRC’s two requests. “We have not yet received any instructions regarding the ICRC’s requests. It has been a while since ICRC visits were barred due to COVID-19,” said the official. The junta has locked up thousands of people mostly due to their anti-regime activism. As of Wednesday, more than 11,000 people have been arrested since the February 1, 2021 coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). In her meeting with the regime’s cabinet ministers, the ICRC regional director called for the facilitation of humanitarian responses in Chin, Kayah and Karen states, as well as in Magwe and Sagaing regions, including in areas where ethnic armed organizations are present. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-junta-rejects-red-cross-request-to-resume-prison-visits.html
