In a case that mirrors the #MeToo reckoning over sexual abuse by powerful men, a senior Myanmar police officer is being accused of soliciting sexual favours in exchange for promotions.
Police Brigadier General Zaw Moe Than, a former head of police training, is being investigated after an allegation of sexual harassment, Lieutenant-General Myo Swe Win told a press conference in Naypyidaw on June 22.
“The complaint is still being examined,” he said, reported The Irrawaddy. “After examination, if the allegations are true, the police court will proceed to take action.”
A reporter asked Myo Swe Win about claims on Facebook that Zaw Moe Than sexually harassed at least 18 more policewomen, however he declined to disclose more information because the investigation is ongoing.
Zaw Moe Than is being kept under police custody in Naypyidaw, according to anonymous police sources quoted in The Irrawaddy.
With a government goal of having women officers comprise 25 percent of its ranks by 2030, Myanmar Police Force (MPF) is recruiting more women.
But former police colonel Omma Rangmi, who was one of the highest-ranking in the force, told Frontier in 2018 that sexual harassment in the MPF was on the rise because more women were joining.
The MPF is part of the military-controlled Ministry of Home Affairs, and high-ranking senior officers such as Zaw Moe Than often join the force after a career in the Tatmadaw.
