Myanmar police face penalties for failing to recruit new officers

The Myanmar junta’s police force is scrambling to fill its ranks, with the Ministry of Home Affairs ordering local police units in every township to recruit at least two new officers each month. Myanmar’s police force is under mounting pressure to meet strict recruitment quotas, with officers facing internal punishment if they fall short. Documents obtained by Myanmar Now show that those unable to enlist at least two new recruits per month are subject to disciplinary measures.In one case earlier this year, a police officer in Ayeyarwady Region was hauled before a police court and penalised with a six-month deduction from his credited service time toward retirement benefits. The disciplined police officer was Police Inspector Zaw Myint Oo from a Tourist Police unit, and was punished under section 16 (b) of the Police Disciplines Act. New police recruits in Myanmar are being offered just 200,000 kyat per month in salary and food allowances, according to internal directives. Recruitment is limited to men aged 18–30 and women aged 18–25.Educational requirements vary by position: candidates need only a 4th grade education to serve at border police stations, while criminal investigation roles require a 10th grade pass. Women must have completed their second year at any university and must be unmarried to qualify. Police station chiefs, patrol leaders, and surveillance officers have long been tasked with recruitment duties, dating back to the military governments of Than Shwe and Thein Sein. But unlike now, officers who failed to meet quotas were only required to submit explanatory reports, not face punishment, according to a former police captain who spoke to Myanmar Now on the condition of anonymity. "This has become somewhat more severe now. In the past, there were no such disciplinary actions,” he said. “There were only explanatory reports to write. Opening police courts and examining cases, taking punitive actions for inability to recruit under Police Disciplines Act didn't exist before.” In the past, each police station within a township was required to recruit two new officers per month. If they couldn’t meet the quota, they had to “buy” recruits from other stations that exceeded theirs—recording the transfers as if they had recruited them directly, the officer said. Junta soldiers pursue and detain protesters in Yangon during a violent crackdown in early March 2021, as resistance to the coup escalated nationwide. (Photo: Myanmar Now). Even then, attracting new personnel was a challenge. Officers often resorted to offering rice or other incentives to family members to meet targets. “Now, it’s even harder,” he added "Before summoning them, you have to feed them, pay training costs, and take responsibility until they finish training. It's difficult to recruit.”Facing heavy losses and nationwide conflict, the junta has enforced mandatory military service to replenish its ranks. Since April 2024, it has held continuous monthly training sessions, completing 15 batches—each reportedly bringing in around 5,000 new conscripts.“Who would want to join the army or police right now?” the former police officer said. “Even under these circumstances, they can’t recruit as many people as they want.”

Myanmar police face penalties for failing to recruit new officers

Internal documents reveal rising pressure, low pay, and shrinking interest in joining the force

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