Beyond the Prison Break: Why Prisoner of War Rights Matter for the Myanmar Revolution

Thinzar Shunlei Yi (Member of the Leading Committee, People’s Goal) January 18, 2026

The news of approximately 80 prisoners escaping in Karenni State on January 18, 2026, is more than just a security failure. It is a clear signal that the detention systems in the liberated areas of Myanmar’s conflict zones have reached a critical and alarming state.

In this struggle against the military dictatorship, our responsibility extends beyond the battlefield to include those captured during the conflict. This presents a difficult but unavoidable question for everyone, which is “how we choose to treat those we have captured.”

It is easy to call for revenge or to say "kill them." As a Karenni leader once noted, dealing with prisoners is as easy as pulling a trigger. However, upholding human values is far more difficult and yet more important than acting on impulse. This is why we continue to strive for the survival and fair treatment of prisoners of war even today.

This commitment to such a demanding task is the very essence of our revolution. I sincerely respect all groups, including the Karenni IEC, that are working hard to establish systematic detention centers and maintain order despite the immense challenges.

More Than Just "Prisoners"

In a conflict as bitter and prolonged as the one in Myanmar, it is natural to view every captive as an enemy. However, under international law, Prisoners of War (PoWs) are not ordinary criminals, they are protected persons.

The Third Geneva Convention of 1949 is not merely a collection of rules in a book, it represents the minimum standard of humanity. It mandates that prisoners be treated humanely, provided with necessary medical care, and protected from public humiliation or acts of vengeance.

These are not optional extras for a government, but obligations that every armed organization must follow. By adhering to these standards, we prove that we have not abandoned our humanity even amidst the chaos of war.

The Strategic Value of Humanity

While the focus remains on revolutionary success, discussing prison management and prisoner policies might seem like a secondary concern. In reality, this is a vital strategic priority for the following four reasons:

1. Gaining Trust from the People and the International Community When revolutionary forces follow the Geneva Convention, they prove to the people of Myanmar and the world that they are not "terrorist insurgents" as portrayed by the military junta, but professional organizations with the values and capacity to govern.

2. Saving Lives We know that the junta’s prisons are hellish environments defined by oppression, disease, and overcrowding. By building more humane systems, we protect lives by ensuring that fair action is taken against anyone who breaks the law, not just PoWs. This effectively challenges and dismantles the toxic, oppressive ideology of the military.

3. Breaking the Cycle of Revenge If we build a new Myanmar on the same foundation of revenge as the old system, the cycle of violence will never end. Treating an enemy humanely today serves as the foundation for a stable judicial system in the future. The junta is notorious for torture and illegal arrests, but by respecting human dignity, revolutionary forces clearly demonstrate how they are different.

4. Moving Toward Genuine Justice Building a solid prison administration is an essential part of governance. This requires investing in facilities that meet basic standards and having the courage to adopt policies that allow for self-monitoring. When systems exist to hold any perpetrator accountable without exception, a culture of true accountability begins. This will simultaneously dismantle the long-rooted culture of impunity in Myanmar.

What We Must Do:

1.     Build Infrastructure: Create detention spaces that are clean, safe, and maintain human dignity.

2.     Set Standards: Apply uniform, humane PoW policies across all revolutionary territories, which can be done with the help of civil society and international support.

3.     Ensure Fair Justice: The judicial process must be transparent and fair, even for those who fought on the side of the enemy.

I call upon our civil society and the public across the globe, all those who value justice, to support the detention systems in revolutionary territories so that these efforts can be carried out systematically.

How a society treats its captives is the ultimate benchmark of its values. By choosing humanity over revenge, the people of Myanmar will not only win the war, but also secure a lasting peace for the future.