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North Kalay Police Station at Kalay in Myanmar’s Sagaing Area was among the many first police stations to be established by the anti-junta resistance forces and acknowledged by the Nationwide Unity Authorities (NUG) after the February 2021 navy coup in Myanmar. Pa Ka Pha, the native protection power within the area, started work on organising a police station following a call by the NUG early in October 2021 to arrange a Individuals’s Police below the Civil Disobedience Motion. The police station that existed at north Kalay close to Letpanchaung, which functioned below the federal government earlier than the coup, had been deserted by police personnel after Kalay erupted in large protests towards the junta.
With the arrival of Han Thar Oo in early December 2021, the efforts of the Pa Ka Pha gathered momentum. Han Thar Oo, who hails from north Kalay, was a one-star police officer at Yangon when he determined to affix the resistance motion after the coup. He’s among the many 2,937-odd law enforcement officials hooked up to the NUG — all of whom had joined the CDM after the coup. Resistance teams appointed him as head of the police in North Kalay and tasked him with establishing a system to verify crime within the area.
In Might of final 12 months, police forces and stations below the NUG obtained a lift after the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Union Parliament), the legislative physique of the NUG, enacted the Individuals’s Police Drive Legislation to manage legislation enforcement in areas managed by resistance forces.
On January 24, I visited the North Kalay Police Station close to Letpanchaung. Much like different stations, it’s rudimentarily geared up and has a lock-up for criminals. However it is usually completely different in that it’s ready for an assault from the regime forces. There are trenches across the police station and landmines have been manufactured for planting the place obligatory. Areas have been recognized for police personnel to take positions as a defensive measure towards junta assaults.
Listed here are excerpts from an interview with North Kalay Police Station chief Han Thar Oo.
Inform us about your self.
I used to be born in Kalay. I joined the police service in 2013 as a one-star officer. I obtained coaching in Shan State on the Police Coaching Heart for six months. I used to be posted there for 2 years after which transferred to Yangon, the place I served for round a 12 months. Our responsibility was primarily to patrol some components of town. This was stopped after the coup on February 1, 2021.
Subsequently, we have been tasked with apprehending anti-coup protesters. We have been instructed to shoot at them. I shot some protesters with rubber bullets. Then I noticed that as a policeman my responsibility is to guard the folks and to not shoot them. On March 5, I escaped from Yangon. Two of my buddies from the police helped me escape. They took me to the taxi stand. I reached Mandalay after which Sagaing Area.
Contained in the North Kalay Police Station, Jan. 24, 2023. Photograph by Rajeev Bhattacharyya.
What number of have left the police service such as you?
Round 20,000 in all probability all around the nation, however not everyone has registered with the CDM. That is virtually double the variety of military personnel who’ve left their jobs after the coup.
How did you get related to this police station?
After arriving from Yangon, I used to be in hiding for nearly two months at completely different places in Sagaing Area. I noticed I couldn’t relaxation content material with the CDM however wished to have interaction towards the navy regime at a deeper degree. At Chang-U in Sagaing Area, one other policeman and I supplied coaching to a batch of wannabe rebels, who have been geared up with their very own weapons. However after the coaching ended, some members of this group have been apprehended by the military. We then shifted the camp to a different location very excessive on a hill. Then the group broke up.
Round Might-June 2021, the Kalay PDF was fashioned. In the meantime, some individuals who have been skilled by the Chin Nationwide Military at Camp Victoria in Chin State additionally returned to Sagaing Division. Then because the PDFs took form and started to function, I noticed {that a} police service could be of big significance if we have been to arrange our personal authorities. I returned to Kalay. There was a excessive demand for the police on this area primarily due to drug trafficking and dependancy. PDF and resistance leaders and a Member of Parliament from Kalay had additionally requested me to start the police service.
On December 6, 2021, the Kalay Police Service was fashioned. It was an enormous problem given the scant assets at our disposal. There’s a fixed hazard of assaults from regime troops.
Previous to the coup, police right here weren’t following the legislation. Individuals had misplaced religion within the police as a result of it was lax towards criminals. Police have been lively primarily towards the functionaries and sympathizers of the resistance motion. Many stations have been attacked and burned on this area. There was lawlessness. The police service had collapsed. This police station was already deserted earlier than we occupied it. Some personnel had additionally joined the CDM.
A detention middle on the north Kalay Police Station, January 24, 2023. Photograph by Rajeev Bhattacharyya.
How has the police service been organized in North Kalay?
Earlier than the coup, there have been 5 police stations in Kalay, together with the one in North Kalay. We moved right here on March 3, 2022. The navy has no presence right here. I started with a workforce of 10 folks, together with myself; all of us had joined the CDM. Thirty-five extra folks have been engaged with the station after coaching. At present, our energy is 45 personnel. We stay in contact with the chief of the police service of the nation, who is predicated at a secret location in Sagaing Area.
We now have established two lock-ups – one on this police station and one other within the jungle, the place 17 and 21 folks respectively are locked up. The NUG has acknowledged this police station. You’ll be able to see the letter pasted on the wall of the station.
What’s the space and inhabitants lined by this police station?
This station is chargeable for the northern area of Kalay. There’s a separate police station for the southern area. We cowl about 50 villages, comprising round 50,000 folks.
What are the difficult crimes that you simply cope with in Kalay?
Essentially the most difficult for us is checking drug trafficking. Drug trafficking has elevated after the coup and the junta is concerned on this illicit exercise. A bit of the navy is compelled to get engaged as a result of they don’t obtain common salaries. The navy’s goal can also be to destroy the younger technology by medication. Consignments come principally from Shan State. I’ve not heard of anyplace close to Kalay the place both Heroin No 4 or artificial medication are produced.
After the coup, 2,000 acres of poppy have been planted at Tonzang in Chin State by farmers owing to poverty and lack of livelihood alternate options. There have been another locations in and round Tedim the place this phenomenon is discernible. Traffickers and customers are from all revenue teams and embrace women and men.
Small packets are packed in cleaning soap packing containers after which ferried throughout big distances. Earlier than the coup, the NLD authorities had made optimum efforts to curb the menace. Three subtle X-ray scanners have been put in at three highways believed to be the principle arteries of the drug commerce to detect the consignments. On one event, drug barons attacked one of many X-ray scanners as a result of it impeded the illicit commerce. After the coup, the efforts have turn into lax. The scanners’ main goal now’s to detect weapons and never medication.
Assassinations and killings have additionally emerged as an enormous problem for us. Many dalans (informers of the navy) have been killed on mere suspicion, on false data and with out proof. There have been 5 circumstances of killings final 12 months. In whole, there have been 96 circumstances of crime within the first 12 months. This contains all varieties of circumstances. Drug trafficking accounted for a lot of the circumstances, adopted by killings, theft, and rape.
North Kalay Police Chief Han Thar Oo with a seized consignment of medicine, Jan. 24, 2023. Credit score: North Kalay Police
Virtually each week there are seizures of drug consignments in India’s northeastern states. Are there cartels which were particularly pushing medication to India?
The export of medicine to India has definitely elevated after the coup, which could be very obvious from the amount that has been confiscated within the final two years. It’s the junta that’s actively concerned in drug trafficking, and there are folks to ferry the consignments by quite a few routes within the nation. There’s a unsuitable notion amongst some folks that PDFs and refugees in India are concerned in drug trafficking.
What occurs to the criminals after they’re arrested?
After they’re arrested, a chargesheet is submitted to the court docket based mostly on the investigation of the offense. Then, the accused is produced earlier than the court docket. At present, there are 5 courts with 4 judges. The decision is binding on the police. The legal guidelines which can be adopted are principally those who have been in place below the sooner system earlier than the coup, and a few have been amended to go well with the native situations and scenario.
How do you meet the bills of the police station?
All personnel within the police station are volunteers. We don’t take salaries. Bills are met by native contributions and from the Pa Ka Pha.
How can the police administration be made extra environment friendly? Are any plans being applied?
We want extra unity, help, a secure scenario and efficient growth of our operations to extra areas. Now we can not go to the Pyu Hsaw Htee (allies of the navy) villages, even when a severe offense or crime is dedicated there. If the junta decides to launch operations on this locality, then we must pack up and relocate to safer locations. And possibly, the station could be burned, and we must begin another time. In fact, we’d like extra funds and manpower. Now fairly often we now have to spend cash from our pockets.
What sort of help have you ever obtained from the NUG?
Our police station is below the NUG’s Ministry of Dwelling Affairs. Beneath the NUG, police companies have been fashioned in solely 4 districts up to now, together with Tamu and Wetlet. Kalay is among the many first police stations acknowledged by the NUG. Pointers and legal guidelines have been formulated by NUG. Police stations additionally operate as per the norms laid down by the NUG. It’s a course of that has to develop and evolve.
There are such a lot of weapons in all places with civilians in Myanmar. Think about a scenario when the navy regime is toppled and democracy is restored within the nation. Will so many weapons not set off a severe legislation and order scenario sooner or later?
In my private opinion, it is going to be a really large problem. However now, all of the resistance teams have the identical targets and aren’t a lot of an issue for the time being.
May you ship a message to the world from us?
I’ll, definitely.
That is an enchantment to the world and particularly to democratic nations. Myanmar is struggling. We enchantment to the world to not neglect us. Please help us in our wrestle towards the atrocious junta. This should finish as soon as and for all.
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