An interview with Steven, Head of Chin State People’s Police Force
In Chin State, the Chin State People’s Police Force, – formed jointly with police officers who have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), is said to have started its work to enforce the rule of law in Chin State. The Chin State People’s Police Force was formed on 9 October 2022 by the CDM police officers, which arrived in the liberated area.
In this interview with KMG, Steven, head of the Chin State People’s Police Force, talked about the current status of the police force, case processing, and law enforcement.
Q – Before asking about the Chin State People’s Police Force, could you first tell me what you did before the military coup?
A – Before I joined the CDM, I was an instructor at a police officer training school. This is a school that trains officers. From that school I came to join the CDM. Before that, I served in various capacities, such as international relations officer and air marshal.
I served in the Myanmar Police Force. It has different departments. In one of those departments, I served as an international relations officer on an ad hoc basis. I was also an air marshal at Yangon International Airport. I also served as an investigator for more than ten years.
Q – Why did you join CDM and become part of this revolution?
A – I think the main reason why I joined CDM is obvious and does not need to be explained further. It is because of the military coup, as everyone knows. We didn’t want this authoritarian system. To be honest, not only I but everyone knows about the ills of this dictatorship – the missed opportunities for progress in our country. With this knowledge in mind, I joined the CDM because I didn’t like it.
Q – What was the original purpose of establishing the Chin State People’s Police Force?
A – There were about 900 police officers who joined the CDM from the Chin side. Of the 900, about 500 intended to resume their duties (in law enforcement). So we all gathered and held a meeting. Based on the decision of that meeting, we first established the Chin State People’s Committee on 9 October 2022, but not yet in the form of a police force. Then we gradually became the Chin State People’s Police Force.
The reason we established it is because we are confident that we will definitely win when the time is right. We are 100 percent confident that we will win. So after the revolution, people like us will be needed to enforce the laws in Chin State. By then, it won’t make sense to reuse old (police members). Even if some people insist that it is okay, the people will not accept it all. So we will scrap everything old and then start anew with the new.
The police are not an organization that you can just create. But it is an organization that is built with the knowledge and skills that have been carefully worked out. That is why we are not only there for the time of the revolution, but have carefully prepared and organized it so that law and order can be enforced in the time after the revolution.
Q – What will the Chin State People’s Police Force mainly do?
A – We will mainly enforce the rule of law in the state. Because if a country does not have the rule of law, it is the same as a failed state. Therefore, we established it with the intention of enforcing the rule of law not only during the revolution but also in the period after.
Q – We heard that a graduation ceremony for basic police training was held in June this year. Please tell us about the status of the training. What are the main subjects taught?
A – It is not just police training, but we also call it basic investigation training. State Basic Investigation Training No. (1/2023). The training provides subjects that we police officers have studied. The training also includes other subjects that are not taught in the police academy. The training was attended by aspirants from all townships.
A total of 88 people attended the training. We had to limit the number of aspirants because we have other difficulties. We taught them subjects such as the basics of parade, basic military training, investigations, international law, human rights, and the federal democratic police system. We taught them well.
Q – How strong is the current police force in Chin State?
A – I would put it that we have a good enough strength. We have them in the hundreds now. Our police force is pretty strong. But because of certain difficulties, we have not begun to publicize our law enforement activities. However, we have already started law enforcement in many places.
Our law enforcement is divided into state and township levels. At the state level, some cases are handled directly. However, some cases are handled by the township police after being transferred to them. The police units in the respective townships and areas may also handle these cases in accordance with the law, procedures, and jurisdictional level. We act in accordance with our code of conduct in these cases. I want to assure you that we have many cases in hand now.
Q – Have township police forces been formed in all nine townships in Chin State?
A – Since the Chin State People’s Police Force is a police force established for the entire state, I want you to understand that it is for all. The only difference is that we have not yet been able to establish a township police chief’s office in every township. The members of the current police force live in all nine townships, while some others come from other states and regions.
Q – What types of cases are the police force currently handling?
A – We have police units on the ground in the townships. We start law prosecution procedures after the cases are investigated by the respective township police. The number of cases we have handled is now close to 200, which are the cases that are being prosecuted after the state police have investigated them. The state police receive complaints. Some cases are referred to the respective township police. There are cases that we can’t handle immediately. We don’t overlook such cases, but they are organized systematically. Then we look at the situation on the ground and follow up when the time is ripe. It is not that the state level only handles such cases; we have certain tasks and responsibilities according to the organizational structure. In other words, the police at the state level handle matters most related to the headquarters, while the police at the township level focus on investigating individual cases. This does not necessaritly mean that the police at the state level don’t investigate at all. We just haven’t done it because the situation hasn’t imposed any on-site investigations on us yet. If necessary, we will investigate on the ground in the township concerned.
Q – What types of cases are you dealing with at the moment?
A – We have some cases committed by the Myanmar army members and some committed by the members of the public, such as theft and rape. There are also many cases related to drugs, as well as cases related to alcohol, forest, and trespassing. Among the cases we take special care of are homicides and rapes. And we also deal with drug cases as effectively as possible.
Another issue is territory. Before the resistance, people stayed in their homes. They have well-defined fences. But after the military coup, many people had to flee their homes. They didn’t dare to stay in their houses anymore. So they sought refuge in the liberated areas. During this time, some people build houses on land, put up fences and make them their own. Therefore, it is also a challenge for us to deal with these cases. We have already received many such cases and expect to receive more cases of a similar nature. At the moment, we are doing our best to make sure that these land problems are solved in the best possible way.
Q – What challenges are you facing in your current activities?
A – In terms of challenges, we only have problems in downtown areas. In the rural areas, we have members of Chin State People’s Police, Chinland Defence Force (CDF), Chan National Army (CNA), Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) and People’s Defence Force (PDF). They all conduct joint activities. So in terms of territorial control, we don’t have any problems, but we do have budgetary constraints. But even in the face of these financial difficulties, we will not stop our activities. We will continue with the support of the public. We also have difficulties in other areas, but we will not stop, we will continue.
Q – What kind of connection have the sate- and township-level police forces established?
A – Since they all belong to the Chin State People’s Police Force, there is a formal connection between the departments. Some activities are done via the Internet or telephone, while others are done in person. We try to work together as best we can, despite all the difficulties.
Q – What is your relationship with the National Unity Government (NUG)?
A – We cooperate with the NUG. We, the Chin State People’s Police Force, formed alliance with the People’s Police Force under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration of the NUG on 23 March 2023, on the basis of right to self-determination and federal democracy.
Q – What else would you like to add?
A – We all understand that military affairs are especially important at this time of revolution. But at the same time, we should not neglect our responsibility to protect the people in accordance with the law. Therefore, I would urge them to give priority not only to military affairs but also to law enforcement.
While we are fighting in the battles, we must also take care of the survival of the people who have stayed behind. If we don’t make sure they are protected, they will have to deal with rapists, murderers, thieves, thugs, and drug dealers. It is not only members of the junta who have committed these crimes, but also people in remote areas. These are the very things we must now carefully deal with. In the downtown areas, some residents still file complaints to the junta members. But fewer citizens in the towns have done so. More and more people are turning to our police forces at the township or regional level. Therefore, we also want them to pay attention to the Chin State People’s Police Force.
I am not saying that we expect a salute from them, but we want them to give us more support so that we can enforce the laws more effectively even though we are still in armed resistance. Let’s say we are fighting in a battle and are winning, and the morals of the citizens are broken, then it will not be easy for the nation to mend its ways.
So if we can take care of the rule of law in the middle of the revolution before morals collapse, there won’t be so many problems after the revolution and we can go on smoothly.
This military affair is important, we also put it before other things. But I would like to urge the Chin State People’s Police Force , the People’s Police Force, and the police forces in other states and regions to also give priority to the rule of law.
Sent by KMG.