POLICE CHIEFS FORCED TO RESIGN IN B

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PRESS RELEASE
Date: January 27, 1998



                 POLICE CHIEFS FORCED TO RESIGN IN BURMA


Burma's military regime, the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC) has forced five police chiefs to resign and sacked the
Rangoon Division police chief, according to sources in Rangoon.

Myo Tint, a former army lieutenant-colonel, was forced to resign
as Rangoon police chief on 2 January after being appointed to the
position at the beginning of 1995. Sources in Rangoon say Myo
Tint is a member of a faction of three generals - Htun Kyi, Kyaw
Ba and  Myint Aung - who are all now being held in custody in
Rangoon by the Military Intelligence Service.

Five other police chiefs based around the country have been
forced to resign. The SPDC forced the five to take their pensions
early. The five are Police Chief Sein Win of northern Shan State;
Police Chief Soe Tint of Chin State, Police Chief Myat Soe of
Karen State; Police Chief Hla Ni of Kayah (Karenni) State; and
Police Chief Tin Aung of Pegu Division.

At the same time, the deputy-police chiefs and personal
assistants who served under these five chiefs have been 
interrogated by the authorities.

Sources in Rangoon say the SPDC acted against the police chiefs
and other police officials accusing them of bad administration
and blaming them for an increase in crime across the country.

Railway Police Chief Sein Htun Aung, who is a brother-in-law of
General Khin Nyunt and who is infamous for his corruption, was
not included among those targeted by the authorities.


Central Committee
All Burma Students' Democratic Front