Three police officials have been sent to prison for negligence of duty during the attacks against No 1 Border Guard Police headquarters (Kyikanpyin) in Maungdaw Township and other border posts in the Arakan State.

U Zaw Htay, director of the President’s Office, confirmed the news to Burmese media on 24 February.

“It’s true that three police officials have been sent to prison. Police Brigadier General Maung Maung Khine, police chief of No 1 Border Guard Police, has been given a two-year sentence and Police Colonel Zeya Han has been given a one-year sentence. Police Lieutenant Colonel Kyaw Tayza, commander of Border Combat Police Battalion, has been given a three-year sentence,” said U Zaw Htay.

Around 300 armed attackers carried out a surprise attack against No 1 Border Guard Police headquarters (Kyikanpyin) and Ngakhuya Local Police Office in Maungdaw Township and Koetankauk Local Police Office in Rathedaung Township on 9 October 2016.

As a result of this attack,  9 police officers were killed and 7 police officers, and three innocent civilians were injured. A total of 67 weapons, 10,930 rounds of ammunition, 173 magazines, and 47 bayonets were lost.

After the weapons and ammunition were robbed from the border posts, the Burmese government imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The Rakhine State was placed under military lockdown and a joint force of the Burma Army and the Burma Police Force carried out clearance operations.