The Yangon police force is stepping up security ahead of celebrations for the Buddhist New Year water festival next month.
The chief of Yangon police’s second division said 7,000 regional police officers will be assigned to two rotating groups throughout the holiday, known in Burmese as Thingyan.
“For security in the days ahead of Thingyan, we are taking pre-emptive measures such as conducting searches, checking guest registrations and imposing restrictions on known criminals such as putting them under area limitations,” said Police Colonel Win Bo.
The festival in mid-April attracts young people from Yangon and the surrounding areas into the city centre for a giant water fight. However, over the years police say the activities have become more reckless.
The police say they will crack down on drunken, unruly behavior and will investigate possible moonshine joints and liquor stores not complying with regulations.
“We will also educate pharmaceutical stores to prevent them dealing in illegal sex performance pills,” said Win Bo.
The traffic police division in Yangon is also planning to assign 900 personnel to tackle road congestion during Thingyan.
Tow trucks will be on standby at the busy Kabaraye, Kokkine, Hledan and Myenigon junctions, on the road around Kandawgyi Lake, and at City Hall.
The traffic police also said they will be targeting drunk driving and passengers sitting illegally on top of vehicles.
“Based on our experience last year, there were many traffic accidents caused by trucks carrying more people than their capacity,” said Police Major Than Myint of the 6th Traffic Police Division said.
Judicial offices in the region will also remain open 24 hours a day during the festival.
“Of the 45 townships in Yangon Region, judicial offices will open in 44 townships with the exception of Coco Island,” said Myint Than, a lawyer at the Yangon Attorney General’s Office.
The judicial offices received 511 cases during last year’s Thingyan and so far 480 of those have been resolved.
This article was originally published by the Democratic Voice of Burma.
