The Myanmar Police Force needs to be doubled to nearly 160,000 personnel to perform its law and order roles more effectively, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Brigadier-General Kyaw Kyaw Tun told the Pyithu Hluttaw on June 10.
The MPF was structured to have 158,685 personnel but had 74,165 staff, which was not adequate to ensure the safety of the public, Brig-Gen Kyaw Kyaw Tun said in response to a question.
Doubling the number of personnel would also bring the force up to international policing standards on the ratio between the police and the population.
Brig-Gen Kyaw Kyaw Tun said the current ratio was 116 police personnel to every 100,000 people and the MPF needed to achieve a ratio of 250 police for every 100,000 people which was in line with international standards.
The minimum standard recommended by the United Nations is 222 police for every 100,000 people.
Brig-Gen Kyaw Kyaw Tun said the MPF was being modernised and the number of training academies had been doubled to four.
The opening of courses for women, including training to become sub-inspectors , would contribute to the expansion of the force, he said.
The deputy minister said there were 10 specialised units within the MPF. They included highway, oil field, forests, drug suppression, navy, aviation, human trafficking, security affairs and tourist police forces.
