NAYPYIDAW — A police court has handed down prison sentences to police officers for negligence over militant attacks on border guard police outposts in Arakan State’s Maungdaw Township in October last year.
The court sentenced the commander of the border guard police headquarters in Maungdaw Police Brig-Gen Maung Maung Khine to two years, deputy commander Police Col. Zeya Han to one year and commander of No. 2 Border Guard Police Battalion police Lt-Col Kyaw Teza to three years, U Zaw Htay, acting director general of Burma’s President’s Office told The Irrawaddy.
“The police force reviewed the incidents and took actions dependent on the findings. They made a thorough internal investigation and the verdict was delivered by the police court,” he said.
The Irrawaddy contacted the police officers concerned, but they declined to comment.
Police were punished in line with the code of conduct for civil servants regarding negligence, said lawmaker U Nay Myo Tun, who represents Htantabin Township in the Lower House.
“It is unacceptable that armed men [police] were raided by those wielding knives. They were punished because of their negligence in security,” he said.
The new government seems to be practicing carrot and stick policy when it comes to the performance of its staff, he added.
On October 9, an estimated 100 assailants attacked three border guard police outposts in Maungdaw and Rathedaung townships in Arakan State.
Following the attacks, the Home Affairs Ministry replaced Police Brig-Gen Maung Maung Khaing with Police Brig-Gen Thura San Lwin.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko
