![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.rfa.org\/english\/news\/myanmar\/crime-01142022181101.html\/1theft.jpg\" "\\"1theft.jpg\\"")
<\/a>\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/p>\nThe same month, three men on a\u00a0motorcycle\u00a0snatched a handbag from two siblings riding a bicycle in Yangon\u2019s North Okkalapa township, a member of their family named Ma Ei said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe two siblings were on their bicycle and the thugs snatched away the handbag while on the road,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThough they grabbed back, the strap of the handbag snapped and the three escaped on their motorcycle. There were 50,000 kyats (U.S. $30) and two cell phones inside. They did not dare chase them as it could have been dangerous. My aunt\u2019s medical records were on the phones and now they are lost.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Kyaw Kyaw and Ma Ei said they did not report the robberies to the police, as it was unlikely the police would be able or willing to track down their personal items.<\/p>\n
No access to police<\/strong><\/p>\n In the 11 months since Myanmar\u2019s coup, the military has killed at least 1,469 civilians and arrested more than 8,600 others, mostly during widespread peaceful demonstrations, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.<\/p>\n Pho Phyu, a human rights lawyer, said that there have been several attacks on police stations during the unrest. Civilians are now mostly prohibited from entering the stations to report crimes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot file a case because the police themselves are so worried about their own safety they won\u2019t allow civilians to enter the premises. They have armed guards at the entrance,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you are lucky to get a chance to file a case, there won\u2019t be any investigations or hearings.\u201d<\/p>\n Victims of crimes reported feeling more insecure because the police can no longer carry out their day-to-day responsibilities in the wake of the political turmoil.<\/p>\n When contacted by RFA, junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said incidents can be reported to local government administrative offices and insisted that crimes are being handled by the police. However, he acknowledged that security has been stepped up at some police stations, making it more difficult for citizens to report crimes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot report every single issue to the police station. Only police cases should be reported to the police station, and they will be accepted according to the rule of law,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cSome police stations have tight security but only in certain places \u2014 not throughout the country. In some areas on the outskirts of Yangon \u2026 there have been attacks and tight security measures are in place for stations like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Feelings of insecurity<\/strong><\/p>\n Last month, a group of men robbed a phone shop in the small town of Pyundaza, in southern central Myanmar\u2019s Bago region.<\/p>\n A friend of the shop owner told RFA that residents believe the authorities will not protect them and therefore unlikely to ask them for help.<\/p>\n \u201cMost do not disclose the amount of money they lost, nor do they go to the police station for fear of further retaliation from the robbers,\u201d he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n On Sept. 9, a train engineer in Myanmar\u2019s second-largest city Mandalay named Win Ko Oo who left his job to join the anti-junta Civil Disobedience Movement, was beaten to death by a group of unidentified men as they attempted to rob him from a motorcycle.<\/p>\n A Mandalay resident who also declined to be named told RFA he is now afraid to leave his home amid.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all are struggling to make ends meet and there is no guarantee of our safety,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot get help from anyone. Even in broad daylight, we must check in our rear-view mirror all the time or look ahead for half a mile or so to see if there are any dangerous elements around. We feel so insecure.\u201d<\/p>\n Reported by RFA\u2019s Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \n \n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n
\r\nThis content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia<\/a> and was authored by Radio Free Asia.
<\/p>\n