A two-day (6 to 7 October) orientation programme was organized at the Arakan Police Force's Gissapa Hall where over 40 police officers from the rank of  second lieutenant to captain were trained on how to deal with children issues.

The closing ceremony of the training programme was also held at Gissapa Hall on the evening of 7th October.

The participants were given certificates by U Nay Myo, the Arakan police chief, he also thanked the UNICEF for the initiative. In response, the UNICEF officials thanked the Arakan authorities for arranging the training programme.

Various norms and standard rules in Myanmar relating to child victims & witnesses were discussed and compared to international laws in the orientation programme. The training sessions also dealt with Burma’s 1993 child laws, child-trafficking issues and capacity building for the affected children.

According to a UNICEF statement, the international body is working with the Burmese government to improve the relevant laws for children and young people in the Southeast Asian country. Improvement in police actions and also judicial interventions in this regard are also being addressed by the training courses.

Earlier, in June, UNICEF conducted similar police training programmes in Rangoon. Another training programme is scheduled for Kachin State later this month, added the statement.