On 22 May, political prisoners started a protest about prison conditions and went on hunger strike. On 24 May, a some hunger strikers were placed in solitary confinement in small cells designed for holding military dogs. They were returned to their usual cells on 26 May. Officials reportedly started talks with the protesters around 27 May, but when the talks broke down, those political prisoners who decided to continue the hunger strike were again placed in the dog cells. The dog cells are about 10 feet in length and seven feet wide, windowless and soundproof. There is no proper sanitation, no bed and no mats on the floor.
A number of political prisoners in Kale prison, Sagaing Division, including monk U Gambira, initiated a petition calling for improvements to prison conditions. The petition was reportedly sent to President Thein Sein and copies sent to the Minister of Home Affairs, the UN Human Rights Council, ASEAN, and a regional human rights NGO. The petition stated that all the signatories would go on hunger strike if their demands were not met by 31 May.