More than 100 police officers have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement to protest against the military coup in Myanmar, reports The Irrawaddy.
Since the military coup last month, police and soldiers’ violent crackdowns on anti-coup demonstrators have killed more than 50 people in numerous cities across the country.
One of the Police officer from the Yangon Police Department, Tin Min Tun, 54, who have joined the movement, said in a video message earlier this week that he had to make sacrifices in order to support the nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement launched against the military government by the country’s civil servants.
He is the highest-ranking police officer to join the movement.
“I don’t want to serve the military regime,” said acting Police Colonel Tin Min Tun, who has 31 years of service with the police force.
He added that the whole police force is now being misused by the military regime.
Following the lead of the senior police colonel, many other young officers have also joined the movement.
Police officer Kyaw Lin Oo, who finished his police training in August 2018, wrote on his Facebook page that he would regret it in future if he failed to do something he knew should be done. “Have loyalty to the people rather than the police force. People are the main benefactor,” he wrote on his Facebook.
He along with his two friends, both policemen, have reportedly joined the nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement, defying military rule after being ordered to open fire on peaceful anti-coup protesters.
They are now in hiding, while their superiors hunt for them and put pressure on their families.
The movement, which was launched on February 3 by hundreds of doctors and nurses from government hospitals in many cities including Yangon and Mandalay, has gained momentum after being joined by tens of thousands of civil servant officers.
Since then, police officers from many major cities across the country have joined the movement, taking part in the anti-coup demonstrations defying the Myanmar Police Force Maintenance Discipline Law, which carries a penalty of up to three years’ imprisonment for being absent from one’s duties.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), about three police members have been detained or charged under the Police Force Maintenance Discipline Law.
Bloodiest day
Myanmar police broke up demonstrations in several places with tear gas and gunfire on Thursday but there was no immediate word on casualties a day after the United Nations said 38 people had been killed in the bloodiest day since last month's coup.
Undeterred by the crackdown, activists said they refused to accept the February 1 military coup and were determined to press for the release of elected government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and recognition of her victory in a November election.
"We know that we can always get shot and killed with live bullets but there is no meaning to staying alive under the junta," activist Maung Saungkha told Reuters.
Police later opened fire and used tear gas to break up protests in Yangon and the central town of Monywa, witnesses said. Police also fired in the town of Pathein, to the west of Yangon, media reported.
'Stop murdering protesters’
At least 54 people have been killed and over 1,700 detained, including 29 journalist since Myanmar's February 1 coup, the UN rights chief said on Thursday, demanding that the military "stop murdering" protesters.
The comments come after the deadliest day of protests in Myanmar, with at least 38 dead Wednesday in rallies where security forces were seen firing into crowds.
UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged security forces to "halt their vicious crackdown on peaceful protesters."
