The Myanmar Police Force ( my, မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ ရဲတပ်ဖွဲ့), formerly the People's Police Force (), is the law enforcement agency of

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

. It was established in 1964 as an independent department under the

Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

History

The Police Force in Myanmar have an extensive history; the police force also includes local police and regional police in different jurisdictions.

British rule in Myanmar

The ''Indian Imperial Police'' was the primary law enforcement in Burma until 1937, when it was split from

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

. In 1872 the third mayor of Mergui District, Sir Ashly Din (1870–1875) assigned the first police officer to be stationed at

Maliwan Maliwan ( my, မလိဝမ်း; th, มะลิวัลย์; ) is a village in Kawthaung Township in southern Myanmar near the border with Thailand. It was settled by Chinese and Thai people. The area is known for its hot springs and wate ...

, a village 24 miles north of current Victoria Point. Perhaps the most famous policeman in Burma from this period is the author

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalit ...

, who in 1922 joined the

Indian Imperial Police The Indian Imperial Police, referred to variously as the Imperial Police or simply the Indian Police or, by 1905, Imperial Police, was part of the Indian Police Services, the uniform system of police administration in British Raj, as established by ...

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

Post-independence (1948–present)

Myanmar police in Bahan Township (Aung Naing Soe-VOA)

On 16 March 1988 following the killing of two students during the pro-democracy demonstrations,

student A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementa ...

s marching on

Prome Pyay (, ; mnw, ပြန် , ; also known as Prome and Pyè) is principal town of Pyay Township in the Bago Region in Myanmar. Pyay is located on the bank of the Irrawaddy River, north-west of Yangon. It is an important trade center for the Aye ...

Road were confronted near

Inya Lake Inya Lake ( my, အင်းလျားကန်, ''ʔīnyā kǎn'' ; formerly, Lake Victoria) is the largest lake in Yangon, Burma (Myanmar), a popular recreational area for Yangonites, and a famous location for romance in popular culture. Locat ...

by the security force riot police and many beaten to death or drowned. The national police are made up of several smaller entities, including * Myanmar Railways Police * Intelligence division

Organisation

The current

director general A director general or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals'' ) or general director is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer, within a government ...

of Myanmar Police Force is Major General Zin Min Htet with its headquarters in

Naypyidaw Naypyidaw, officially spelled Nay Pyi Taw (; ), is the capital and third-largest city of Myanmar. The city is located at the centre of the Naypyidaw Union Territory. It is unusual among Myanmar's cities, as it is an entirely planned city o ...

. Its command structure is based on established civil jurisdictions. Under the command of police headquarters, state and region police forces have been established in respective territories of states and divisions with headquarters in their capital cities.

State and division police forces

There are 14 state and divisional police forces and three additional state/division police forces commanded by police brigadiers or colonels. Their jurisdictions are divided according to the Civil Administration. The states and divisions, additional states have the same status. Each state and divisional police force consist of four components. * Office of the Commander of the State and Divisional Police Force * Office of the Commander of the District Police Force * Office of the Commander of the Township Police Force * Police Stations In previous time, the

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...

police forces are classified into two classes depending on the area, population and development, namely A and B Class. Commanders of the A Class District Police Forces are police

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...

s, and B Classes are police

major Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...

s, but there is no classification and all districts assigned with lieutenant colonel. Commanders of township police forces are police

s, and police station officers are police

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Special Departments

There are four Special Departments, in which the first ten departments are headed by the police

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...

s and the remaining two are by police

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

s. * Security Police Force * Border Guard Police Force * Special Intelligence Department (Special Branch) * Criminal Investigation Department (CID) * Railways Police Department * Anti-human Trafficking Police Force * Maritime Police force * Aviation Police Force * Drug Enforcement Division * Financial Investigation force * Myanmar Traffic Police * Tourist Security Police Force * Oil Field Security Police Force * Forestry Security Police Force * Highway Police Force * Municipal Police Department

Training Centres

There are three main Training Centers, one Central Training Institute of Myanmar Police Force and Three Police Training Depots. The State and Divisional Police Forces have their own training centres for refresher courses and Junior Leader ( NCO) Courses. Bachelor's degree holders from Distance Learning University were disqualified from sitting the SIP exam. Thus vast numbers of Bachelor holding police personal were concerned for their future.

No. 1 Police Training Depot

The No.1 Police Training Depot is commanded by a Police

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...

and undertakes:

No. 2 Police Training Depot

The No.2 Police Training Depot is also commanded by a Police Lieutenant Colonel, and undertakes only Basic Training Course for Constables, which normally takes around 6 months to complete.

Taung Lay Lone Police Training Depot

The Taung Lay Lone Police Training Depot is commanded by a Police

and undertakes:

Combat Police Battalions (SWAT)

There are sixteen Police

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...

s to carry out general security duties under the command of Battalion Control Command. The

Commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...

s are Police

s. As the populace of the cities including Yangon and Mandalay have been increased day after day, problems on social, economy and politics are risen up that could lead to emergence of civil unrest and sabotage. It is necessary to prevent from destruction and harassment, VIP and project factories and workshops, security of

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or interna ...

s and their embassies. Seven of these Police Battalions are situated in the

Yangon Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government ...

Divisional areas and two in Mandalay and three in Arakan, one in

Sagaing Sagaing (, ) is the former capital of the Sagaing Region of Myanmar. It is located in the Irrawaddy River, to the south-west of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river. Sagaing with numerous Buddhist monasteries is an important religious and m ...

, one in

Mon State Mon State ( my, မွန်ပြည်နယ်, ; mnw, တွဵုရးဍုင်မန်, italics=no) is an administrative division of Myanmar. It lies between Kayin State to the east, the Andaman Sea to the west, Bago Region to th ...

, one in

Pegu Bago (formerly spelt Pegu; , ), formerly known as Hanthawaddy, is a city and the capital of the Bago Region in Myanmar. It is located north-east of Yangon. Etymology The Burmese name Bago (ပဲခူး) is likely derived from the Mon langua ...

, one in

. These specially-trained and combat capable battalions are formed with personnel from former Riot Security Police, better known as "Lon Htein" Units. Each battalion consists of 500+ personnel and these battalions are supported by two support battalions, which include signal and medical units. These battalions structure are similar to that of Army's

Light Infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often foug ...

s and they are subordinate to their respective Regional Military Commands. * 1st Combat Police Battalion (HQ at Hlawga) * 2nd Combat Police Battalion (HQ at Maungtaw) * 3rd Combat Police Battalion (HQ at Shwemyayar) * 4th Combat Police Battalion (HQ at Shwesaryan) * 5th Combat Police Battalion (HQ at Hmawbi) * 6th Combat Police Battalion (HQ at Shwepyitha) * 7th Combat Police Battalion (HQ at Kyauktan) * 8th Combat Police Battalion (HQ at Mingaladon) * 9th Combat Police Battalion (HQ at Hlaingthaya) * 10th Combat Police Battalion * 11th Combat Police Battalion * 12th Combat Police Battalion * 14th Combat Police Battalion (HQ at Pa Lake, Mandalay) * 15th Combat Police Battalion * 16th Combat Police Battalion

Anti-Narcotic Task Forces

26 special anti-narcotic task forces have been established under the direction of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control.

Weapons and equipment

Myanmar Police Force uses wide range of weapons and ammunitions, ranging from

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

vintage to modern sophisticated weapons. Most of the weapons are either seized from ethnic wars and narco-insurgents or locally produced copies of the G3 and other weapons phased out of their army.

Pistols

* Enfield revolver * Colt Detective Special * Ka Pa Sa MA5 MKI * Ka Pa Sa MA5 MKII

Sub machine gun

Heckler & Koch MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, ...

(Norinco made NR-08) * Ka Pa Sa BA-52 * Sten Gun * BA93 * BA94 * MA13 MKI * MA13 MKII

Rifles

M1 carbine The M1 carbine (formally the United States Carbine, Caliber .30, M1) is a lightweight semi-automatic carbine that was a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The M1 carbine was produced ...

* Type-56 Carbine *

Type 63 assault rifle The Type 63 () is a Chinese-designed assault rifle with a resemblance to the SKS. The weapon features a fully-automatic rotating-bolt system modified from the Type 56 assault rifle instead of the tilting bolt system of the SKS. Overall, the weapon ...

M1 Garand The M1 Garand or M1 rifleOfficially designated as U.S. rifle, caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also called US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the U.S Army during World W ...

* Lee–Enfield Rifles * AK-47 series（Including Chinese

Type 56 The Type 56 (; literally; "Assault Rifle, Model of 1956") is a Chinese 7.62×39mm rifle. It is a variant of the Soviet-designed AK-47 (specifically Type 3) and AKM rifles.Miller, David (2001). ''The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns' ...

） *

M16 rifle The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-r ...

M4 carbine The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensive ...

Norinco CQ The Type CQ is an unlicensed Chinese variant of the M16 rifle manufactured by Norinco. According to the Norinco website, the rifle is officially known as CQ 5.56. It can be distinguished from other AR-15 and M-16 pattern rifles by its long, re ...

Norinco QBZ 97 The Type 95 automatic rifle () or QBZ-95 is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured by Norinco, and issued since 1995 as the service rifle for the People's Liberation Army, People's Armed Police and various paramilitary law enforcement ...

* Ka Pa Sa BA63 * Ka Pa Sa MA11 * Ka Pa Sa MA3

Machine gun

Bren Gun The Bren gun was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and Commonwealth forces' primary infantry LMG in World War II, it was also used ...

* Ka Pa Sa BA64 * Ka Pa Sa MA12 * Type 81 lmg (seized from narco ethnic insurgents) * Type 56 lmg (seized from narco ethnic insurgents)

Sniper rifle

M40 rifle The M40 rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle used by the United States Marine Corps. It has had four variants: the M40, M40A1, M40A3, and M40A5. The M40 was introduced in 1966. The changeover to the A1 model was completed in the 1970s, the A3 ...

(seized from ethnic and narcotic insurgents) * Ka Pa Sa BA100 * Ka Pa Sa MAS MKII

Non-Lethal Weapons

Taser A taser is an electroshock weapon used to incapacitate people, allowing them to be approached and handled in an unresisting and thus safe manner. It is sold by Axon, formerly TASER International. It fires two small barbed darts intended t ...

Pepper Spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, ...

cans *

Pepper-spray projectile A pepper-spray projectile, also called a pepper-spray ball, pepper-ball, pepper bomb, or pepper-spray pellet is a frangible projectile containing a powdered chemical that irritates the eyes and nose in a manner similar to pepper spray. These pro ...

gun *

Pepperball A pepper-spray projectile, also called a pepper-spray ball, pepper-ball, pepper bomb, or pepper-spray pellet is a frangible projectile containing a powdered chemical that irritates the eyes and nose in a manner similar to pepper spray. These pro ...

Rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, an ...

, beanbag, &

plastic bullet A plastic bullet or plastic baton round (PBR) is a non-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun. Although designed as a non-lethal weapon, they have caused a number of deaths when used incorrectly. Plastic bullets are generally used for ...

* Baton *

Riot shield A riot shield is a lightweight protection device, typically deployed by police and some military organizations, though also utilized by protestors. Riot shields are typically long enough to cover an average-sized person from the top of the head to ...

* M84 stun grenade *

Tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ...

* M6/M7 series chemical grenade *

Sting grenade A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade genera ...

Automobiles

Cars and Trucks

* Japan cars (confiscated item), * Chevrolet Suburban (confiscated item), *

Range Rover Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to ...

donated by Foreign Organisations for Anti-drugs Enforcement, *

Mercedes Benz C-Class The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a series of compact executive cars produced by Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 (W201) range, the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's line-up until the W168 A-Class ...

sedan (confiscated item), *

Toyota Dyna The Toyota Dyna is a light to medium-duty cab over truck for commercial use. In the Japanese market, the Dyna is sold alongside its twin called the Toyoace. The Toyoace was a renaming of the Toyopet SKB Truck as a result of a 1956 public competi ...

paddy wagon (Private owned vehicles are commonly called as volunteers patrol cars), * Toyota closed double cab (confiscated item, used by escort team, patrol), * Mitsubishi double cab (confiscated item, used by Police Col, Yangon), * Mitsubishi pickup (confiscated item, used by Township Police Station, Yangon), * Mitsubishi pickup (confiscated item, used by Police Lt Col, Yangon), *

Toyota pickup The , stylized as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as pickup truck or cab chassis variants, although they ...

(confiscated item, used by Township Police Station, Yangon), * FAW pickup, * Honda Saloon, Patrol car, * Jeep, Used by police station, * Mazda B pick-up, Used by police station, *

Toyota Celica The is an automobile produced by Toyota from 1970 until 2006. The Celica name derives from the Latin word '' coelica'' meaning 'heavenly' or 'celestial'. In Japan, the Celica was exclusive to the '' Toyota Corolla Store'' dealer chain. Pro ...

, used as a police lead vehicle and as a high-speed police car to arrest sport cars, * Nissan Fairlady Z, used as a police lead vehicle and as a high-speed police car to arrest sport cars.

Armoured vehicles

Coastal Patrol Craft

River Patrol Boat

Rank structure and insignia

Commissioned officers

Enlisted ranks

References

Citations

Sources

Books

Journal articles

* * {{commons category, Police of Myanmar Law of Myanmar Law enforcement in Myanmar Military of Myanmar 1964 establishments in Burma

History

British rule in Myanmar

Post-independence (1948–present)

Organisation

State and division police forces

Special Departments

Training Centres

No. 1 Police Training Depot

No. 2 Police Training Depot

Taung Lay Lone Police Training Depot

Combat Police Battalions (SWAT)

Anti-Narcotic Task Forces

Weapons and equipment

Pistols

Sub machine gun

Rifles

Machine gun

Sniper rifle

Non-Lethal Weapons

Automobiles

Cars and Trucks

Armoured vehicles

Coastal Patrol Craft

River Patrol Boat

Rank structure and insignia

Commissioned officers

Enlisted ranks

See also

References

Citations

Sources

Books

Journal articles