UN to help Myanmar upgrade police training

The United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) will help the Myanmar Police Force upgrade its training curriculum, official media reported on Tuesday.

The curriculum renewal process, to be led by UNODC, is scheduled to start on May 30 and is set to complete on Dec. 31, said UNODC resident representative Jeremy Douglas.

The curriculum will include training courses in areas such as public services, economic crime and corruption, he said.

He stressed the need of greater awareness on law and human rights by Myanmar police officers, reducing its focus on drill and skill.

Myanmar aims to reform its police force through a training system by the UNODC set to last for 30 years.

Vowing to conduct courses with Myanmar's own resources, Police Col Aung Htay Myint of Myanmar's Anti-Transnational Organized Crime said international experts will be invited to train police officers in respective courses.

According to the UNODC, 12 million U.S. dollars is set to fund the reform plan covering seven training centers for the first five years.

Statistics show that Myanmar Police Force cracked 6,414 drug-related cases, arresting over 9,000 drug offenders in 2015.

(APD)