Written By Myat Hnin Wai

Border News Agency
Mrauk-U, August 25.

In areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), incidents of theft, robbery, murder, rape, and attempted rape are frequently occurring. However, the people of Arakan criticize that perpetrators are rarely identified, arrested, and prosecuted.

According to locals, in most of these cases, no offenders are brought to justice, and only in some instances, large groups of suspected individuals are rounded up and subjected to prolonged investigations.

Officials from the police department of the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government said that the rise in such crimes and the failure to apprehend perpetrators in AA-controlled areas are due to weak rule of law, lack of qualified police and judicial officers, and insufficient police manpower.

In Kyauktaw Township’s Pyine Chaung village, a robbery and murder occurred on July 24. However, locals said that the actual perpetrator has not yet been clearly identified, and only one suspect has so far been arrested and is still under investigation.

In Minbra Township’s Phar Pyoh village, on May 2, a 9-year-old woman was raped and murdered. However, family members said that the perpetrator has not yet been identified or prosecuted, and only eight suspects are still being investigated, causing the case to be delayed.

Meanwhile, in Myaybon Township’s Loon Lone Pike village, locals said that more than a year has passed without any legal action being taken against a man who allegedly attempted to rape and physically assaulted a young woman.

Locals point out that these cases clearly highlight the weaknesses of the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government police force, which was formed to ensure public security, stability, and rule of law. They criticize that the force is slow in investigating and solving cases, lacks sufficient qualifications, and often acts with bias.

Formation of the Arakan Government Police Force

In Arakkha region, when the Arakan Army began gaining territorial control in 2018 and 2019, village administration members and soldiers handled law enforcement activities, including the arrest of offenders and other policing duties.

Later, as the controlled areas expanded, and especially after the military coup in early 2021, members of the Arakan Army were reorganized into a police force, and the People’s Police Force was officially established.

This police force is led by a former senior officer who once served in the police department under the previous government, now taking responsibility as the Chief of Police.

Although policing duties were initially carried out by Arakan Army soldiers, later on, former police officers with law enforcement experience began providing training, and young civilians were also appointed and assigned as members of the police force.

When the Arakan Army gained full control over fifteen townships, including Paletwa, during the decisive war, police stations were opened in towns, villages, and wards across the territory. Police officers were deployed to handle public security and law enforcement operations.

This police force was later renamed and officially referred to as the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS).

Is the Arakan Police Force Adequately Staffed?

In the Arakkha region, police training is conducted in successive batches to continuously train new recruits. However, locals say the police force remains insufficient relative to the population size.

Within the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government, there are currently over 3,700 trained and active police officers. Police officials say that approximately 5,000 officers are needed to cover all areas controlled by the Arakan Army.

Police members also say that this shortage of personnel is one of the reasons for weaknesses in public security operations, case investigations, and law enforcement actions.

“There aren’t enough people. Most are young, and they don’t understand the laws very well. They also lack experience, so they are not very skilled at investigating cases,” a member of the Arakan police told Border News Agency.

Among the Arakan police force, most members are teenagers or young adults in their early twenties, and there is a noticeable shortage of educated youth.

Some police members have only received middle-level education and did not complete high school, so it is difficult to provide them with advanced or specialized training, police members say.

Underqualified Police Officers Leave Citizens Vulnerable

Police members say that in the early stages of training, there were shortcomings among the initial recruits due to a lack of sufficient instructors, restrictions under the military junta, and the inability to conduct training freely while junta influence remained. Additionally, because all applicants had to be accepted to meet manpower needs, many of the first recruits were underqualified.

“At that time, police training had to be conducted in secret. There were not enough instructors to fully teach policing skills, and there was no opportunity to properly train recruits in law enforcement work. As a result, former AA members who became police officers lacked knowledge of the law and policing, and instead of being trusted by the public, some abused their authority, causing friction with the people,” a DLEPS official told Border News Agency.

Locals say that due to underqualified police officers who abuse their authority, many people have suffered.

When crimes occur, these underqualified officers are often unable to identify and apprehend the perpetrators. As a result, victims of theft, robbery, or assault are unable to recover their property and suffer further, while victims of serious crimes such as rape and murder also experience significant injustice, according to residents.

“Now, no matter what happens, going to the police is almost useless. They don’t do anything. When I reported my lost phone, nothing came of it, and I didn’t get my phone back. Some officers even treat the public arrogantly,” a woman from Myaybon Township, who experienced this, told Border News Agency.

Locals also say that victims of serious crimes suffer because the perpetrators are often not caught, or even if arrested, they are not sent to court or quickly prosecuted, leaving victims without justice.

“When a crime occurs and we report it, sometimes they do not arrest the perpetrators, especially if they are connected to them. In some cases, they even guarantee their release. These are serious crimes. In Loon Lone Pike, there was a case that was released even after a year. This includes cases involving attempts to commit rape,” a woman from Myaybon Township told Border News Agency.

Locals say that some members of the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) have also been abusing their authority over the public.

In Minbra Township, Nyaung Pin Waing Island, during a farmland dispute last April, a local man, along with several women involved in the conflict, was charged by the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government township chief under Sections 505(b), 186, and 188. The case was formally registered at the local police station.

Legal officials say that such cases should be resolved through mediation rather than being formally registered and prosecuted by the government.

“Section 505(b) is a law that previous governments used to file charges against the public. Many have criticized that it should not be applied. As a government representing the people, it shouldn’t act this way. The police force also should not be registering such cases,” a senior legal official told Border News Agency.

Call for a Police Force That Protects the People

Locals say that members of the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) under the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government, which was established to ensure public security and uphold the law, should stand on the side of the people, provide protection, and safeguard them from theft, robbery, and other threats.

However, locals say that in some townships, members of the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) mainly focus on traffic safety, arresting motorcyclists without helmets, and gatekeeping duties. They reportedly do very little of the work that involves nighttime patrols or capturing criminals.

“They mainly focus on arresting people for not wearing helmets. When a crime occurs, the police arrive late, and even if they arrive first, the suspect often escapes. However, cases like stolen motorcycles are resolved quickly. For burglaries or home thefts, only about one in ten cases are actually solved,” a woman from Minbya Township, whose phone and gold were stolen and never recovered, told Border News Agency.

Senior police officials say that the weaknesses in the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) police force are due to underqualification and insufficient manpower.

“It is due to police officers who are not yet skilled in law enforcement. New recruits are also being trained to improve their policing skills. We can see that the Chief of Police personally organizes and oversees efforts to ensure proper law enforcement,” a police official told Border News Agency.

In the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government, fully qualified instructors have been appointed for DLEPS police training. Trainees are given priority if they have completed higher education or hold degrees, and young recruits are trained and developed accordingly.

“Now, instructors are fully qualified and able to teach freely, and more young recruits with high school diplomas and university degrees are joining and serving,” a DLEPS police training instructor told Border News Agency.

Locals say they want members of the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government’s Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) police force to be a trusted force for public security and not become a police force that abuses power like the officers under previous governments.

Locals say that because the police play a crucial role in maintaining national peace and security, it is important for them to become a trusted force, not one that abuses power over the public. They should protect and safeguard citizens while ensuring that perpetrators are promptly and properly identified and held accountable.

However, members of the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) under the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government have not yet become a police force that the public can trust, according to criticisms from the people.

Because of this, some police officers admit that DLEPS personnel have weaknesses and say they are working hard to become a police force that the public can rely on.

“We are working to build a fully capable Arakan People’s Police force one that the people can trust, skilled in law enforcement and policing, just as the Arakanese people want. A strong Arakan People’s Police force that the public can rely on will emerge, and it will meet the people’s expectations,” said an official from the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS), giving assurance to the public.

After the final battle in Arakan, the Arakanese people are watching and waiting to see whether members of the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) under the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government will truly ensure public safety and uphold the rule of law.