Home Affairs Ministry issues press release on police abuse in video clip

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a press release yesterday on its findings in the investigation into police abuse in a video clip posted online.
In the press release, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the ministry launched a probe into police abuse shown in a video clip posted online on Saturday showing footage of members of the Myanmar Police Force beating up villagers.
The ministry said six violent attackers on three motor bikes had shot at policemen from the Norular Police Outpost at 5:50 pm on 3rd November, killing Police Lance Corporal Min Min Soe and injuring Police Lance Corporal Myo Zaw Ko.
Acting on a tip-off that the attackers were being sheltered in Kotankauk Village, the police then conducted an area clearance operation in the village on 5th November. Before entering the village, the village’s administration committee and religious leaders asked the villagers ver a loudspeaker to gather on vacant land. The majority of the villagers gathered in the designated area.
However, police committed abuses as they tried to arrest some villagers who fled the village and some who were hiding in their homes, said the press release.
In deploying the strength of the Myanmar Police Force, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the government of the State instructed them to perform their duties in accordance with international standards and rules & regulation of the law such as proportionality, legality, accountability and necessity.
In some developed democratic countries, police forces have been found to have committed similar incidents in arresting culprits. These are not attributed to hatred and prejudice. Due to the current situation, police used these types of tactics in arresting, so they failed to perform upon instructions. This kind of incident is a challenge between police and people, and between police and criminals, according to the news release.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Myanmar Police Force authorities are taking legal action against those who committed crimes in violation of police discipline. Now, as regards this case, legal action is being taken against police inspector Ye Tun Naing, police sub-inspector Tay Zar Lin and police sub-inspector Htun Lin Hlaing and policeman Zaw Myo Htaik, who recorded the video, and policemen Pyae Phyo Thwin, Nandar Min, Moe Naing and Maung Aye Mya, who beat and kicked the villagers, it is learnt.— Myanmar News Agency