Report

Police officers who oppose the Myanmar military coup

Between violence, fear, and desertion

The Myanmar Police Force (MPF) has been seen on the front lines of the military junta’s violent crackdowns on civilian protesters against the military coup d’état that took place on 1 February 2021. By 27 April a recorded 745 civilians have been killed by the security forces. Police officers have also been deployed to arrest opponents of the coup and are reportedly engaging in random beatings, extortions of money, and the looting of houses and street shops. Consequently, fear and insecurity among the people have grown day by day, giving way to outrage and resentment of police officers. 

The involvement of the police force in violence since the coup is undeniable, yet there is also another side to the story. Far from all police officers support the military. Since 9 February an estimate of at least 600 police officers have defected by joining the civil disobedience movement and other officers are quietly resisting the violence by warning protesters and avoiding participating in violent crackdowns.  

This paper written by anonymised researchers from the Nyan Corridor and DIIS senior researcher, Helene Maria Kyed focuses on this other side of the story. It provides preliminary insights into the perceptions and actions of those police officers who have defected and those who are still on the force but opposed to the violent crackdowns. We also dwell on the social ostracism and fears that police officers and their families – who are against the coup but who fear leaving the force – are facing.

The paper presents 4 core findings:

  • The police officers who have deserted the force and who deny participation in the violent crackdowns tend to be from the civilian branches of the police, rather than the paramilitary units, like the riot and counterterrorism police. This is because the civilian police officers:
     
    • Have to some degree been exposed to training in democratic models of policing over the past decade, that focuses on servicing the citizens rather than protecting the regime.
       
    • Live among and have close ties with ordinary citizens – with many having relatives and friends who participate in the civil disobedience movement and protests.
       
    • Tend to support pro-democratic forces and the National League for Democracy more strongly, despite there also being officers who submit to the military doctrine that views the army as the protector of the nation and resisting civilians as enemies of the state.
       
  • Deserting officers are not only young police officers who grew up under the democratic transition, but also some higher-ranks and officers with many years of service on the force, including under the previous military regime.
     
  • Those who remain on the force are caught in an ambiguous position between fears of deserting and experiences of social punishments from the wider population – such as being exposed on social media and denied buying and selling food and other products.  
     
  • Core obstacles to deserting the force for those officers who are opposed the military junta are fears of prosecution, torture, and loss of livelihood, not only for the officers themselves, but also their family members. 

At a broader level of analysis, the insights of the paper do not deny the brutality of the police force and its submission to army orders and discipline, but it does highlight the heterogeneity of opinions within the force. It also discusses the potentiality for growing splits within the security forces as the military junta’s violence against civilians endures. Numerous desertions could undermine the coercive power of the military junta, but for that to happen it is vital that police officers and soldiers – along with their families – are granted protection and alternative livelihoods.    

There is also a shorter version of the paper in Burmese.

Interview with Helene Maria Kyed about the paper on the Danish radio programme P1 Orientering, 27 April @17.39.  

Feel free to communicate with Nyan Corridor via nyan.corridor@protonmail.com and Nyan Corridor Facebook Page.

Regions
Myanmar

DIIS Experts

Helene Maria Kyed
Peace and violence
Senior Researcher
+45 4096 3309
Police under the military coup in Myanmar: Between Violence, Fear, and Desertion
Police under the military coup in Myanmar
Between violence, fear, and desertions