NarinjaraNews, January 30, 2023

Former Rakhine State Prime Minister U Nyi Pu, who wassentenced to hard labor and long-term prisonterms under various sections, requested permission from the Sittwe Prisonjailer to undergo cataract surgeryon one of his eyes but he has still not received any reply for more than five months.

Former Rakhine State Prime Minister U Nyi Pu, who iscurrently serving a long-term sentence inSittwe prison, has cataracts in his left eye and blurred vision, and hisfamily members said he needssurgery.

Ma Kyi Kyi Oo, U Nyi Pu’s eldest daughter, told Narinjara.” We wrote to the Jailer and asked for permission. It’s been a long time. It’s been five or six months.. One of his eyes is definitely blurry. It’s getting worse without treatment. I don’t know what other issues are going on, because I can’t talk to him directly.”

Former Rakhine State Prime Minister U Nyi Pu was sentencedto 2 years under Article 130(A)for voter fraud, and 9 years under Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law with a 2-year jail term with hard labor underSection 505 (B) of the Penal Code - a total of 13 years in prison.

Since his arrest, his family members have not been allowedto meet him, nor have they beenallowed to see him in prison when he requested permission to see him, hisfamily members said.

The cases of Former Rakhine State Prime Minister U Nyi Puand Cabinet Ministers were handledand sentenced by the Sittwe Prison Special Court.

The Military Council reduced the sentence of former RakhineState Prime Minister U Nyi Pu andformer State municipal minister U Min Aung by one-sixth of the punishment they are serving under Section 505 tocommemorate the 75th Diamond Jubilee IndependenceDay on January 4.

Former Rakhine State Prime Minister U Nyi Pu and U Min Aunghave been sentenced to long prisonterms under Section 505 (B) as well as Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law and Article 130 (A) for voterfraud, respectively.

All five former cabinet ministers, including former RakhineState Prime Minister U Nyi Pu,have been detained in Sittwe Prison since their arrest, and have not beenallowed to meet their familymembers.