Riot police being reinforced to thwart public unrest

More constables are being inducted by the riot police for deployment in western Burma’s Arakan state to thwart possible public unrest before and during the 2010 general elections, said a police officer from capital Sittwe on Wednesday.

“We have to add to our forces, as we have been ordered to prevent any kind of public demonstration or uprising in the state while the government prepares to hold the 2010 general elections,” he told Narinjara on condition of anonymity.

The recommendations were made by the Police Brigadier Soe Win Myint and Deputy Police Brigadier Zaw Win of Burma’s Police Headquarters in the new capital Naypyidaw, during their recent visit to Arakan based police battalions.

There are three riot-police battalions deployed in Arakan -- the No. (12) Battalion based in Sittwe, No. (13) Battalion in Buthidaung and No. (2) Battalion in Maungdaw. These are in addition to the police stations in main places in all townships in Arakan State.

Each battalion currently has an average strength of 350 constables. This will be increased to more than 500, the officer said.

He added that about 117 policemen from police stations in different townships were selected to be transferred to the riot-police from September 06 as part of an initial step and announcement for new recruitments.

Deployment of police personnel in Arakan state is the third largest next to Yangon and Mandalay divisions in Burma, according to the police source.

A democracy activist from Arakan said, “It is apparent that they (Burmese military junta) will use the riot-police rather than soldiers to suppress the people’s movements. It is part of a legacy that most international governments nowadays are into to curb internal public unrests.”

The junta is preparing all its forces by locking up democracy activists in prisons and sidelining ethnic political parties while preparing to hold general elections in 2010, which will legitimatize and entrench its rule in Burma, he added.

According to sources inside Arakan, riot police has been deployed in every key place including pagodas, monasteries and crowded places in all main towns of Arakan since the saffron revolution in September 2007.

Narinjara