Ex-political prisoners turn counsellors

Doing his part: Aung Myo Kyaw counselling people in isolation at a quarantine centre in Yangon. — Reuters

After spending years in confinement, few understand uncertainty, isolation and family separation better than Myanmar’s former political prisoners.

As the coronavirus spreads in Myanmar, sending thousands of people into quarantine facilities, the detainees under military rule are using their experiences to help promote mental health of those now in isolation amid concern about infection, stress and social stigma.