NAYPYITAW, 27 August 2021, (TON): An anti-junta police force was formed by hundreds of striking police officers based in Kayah (Karenni) State under the leadership of a regional consultative council.

The Karenni State Police (KSP) consists of 320 police who defected from the military’s home affairs ministry after the February 1 coup, the Karenni State Consultative Council announced in a statement.

Formed in April following deadly crackdowns on protesters by the coup regime’s armed forces, the council is comprised of elected lawmakers and representatives of political parties, ethnic armed organisations and civil society groups.

Overseen by state-based anti-dictatorship groups, the police force is the first of its kind to form since military chief Min Aung Hlaing seized power from the elected civilian government on February 1.

A KSP spokesperson told media on the condition of anonymity “we will be responsible for law enforcement. But for the time being, we will mainly focus on the security of the people.”

He added “our short term responsibility will be to help displaced locals and to provide security for those within our territory.”

Some members of the KSP will join the armed struggle against the military dictatorship, but representatives say that the institutional goal is to create a different type of police force than the one that has long served military interests in Myanmar.

He said “as a long term vision, we aim to make it a model police force for others in the country.”

The KSP will operate at the township, district and state levels, with the highest attainable ranks for officers being police colonel and lieutenant colonel.