Myanmar Police Force

   (MPF)

   Formerly known as the People's Police Force, the Myanmar Police Force was reorganized in 1995 and at the beginning of the 21st century consists of 72,000 personnel. Formally under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the MPF includes state and division police forces and nine "combat battalions," totaling 4,500 men, many of whom are based in and around Rangoon (Yangon); these combat units are believed to have absorbed the old Lon Htein (Riot Police), which achieved infamy after their brutal handling of demonstrations in Rangoon during March and June 1988. Though often commanded by retired army officers, the combat battalions, like other MPF units, are jurisdictionally independent of the Tatmadaw but serve as auxiliaries in internal security operations, especially in urban areas.