EU-Funded Police Reform Project Holds ‘Open Day’ in Rangoon

By The Irrawaddy 27 May 2014

As part of an EU-funded police reform project, law enforcement personnel in Burma held a “Police Open Day” in Rangoon over the weekend, with organizers saying some 1,300 participants attended the meet-and-greet for members of the public.

In a Facebook post by the Rangoon police, the Myanmar Police Force (MPF) said the event, in Rangoon’s Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township on Sunday, aimed to provide a chance for the community to interact with local police and to strengthen relations between the public and law enforcers.

The event was organized under the Community Policing Project initiative, which is funded by the European Union.

The European Union said the Open Day would promote relations between the MPF and the public in Burma, according to a press release on Monday.

“The EU is proud to be funding such an important reform project. It builds trust between the community and the police and enhances the professionalism of the MPF,” EU Ambassador to Burma Roland Kobia was quoted as saying.

An EU delegation including EU police experts also held a meeting with MPF officers in Naypyidaw on May 16.

The European Union began its community policing project this year in two Rangoon townships: Mingalar Taung Nyunt in January and Sanchaung in March. The initiative will wrap up in March 2015.

The project includes training on community policing, crowd management and improving accountability among the ranks of law enforcement personnel.