Dec 12, 2007 (DVB), Burmese police chief brigadier general Khin Yi has ordered police forces around the country to control the number of officers deserting their positions.

Khin Yi issued the order on 9 December due to the recent increase in the number of officers leaving the force.

One Burma analyst said that desertions had gone up rapidly since the government crackdown on public demonstrations in September.

"Over 100 policemen have already deserted from 16 police brigades in Burma since the protests," the analyst said.

The command did not specify what action should be taken against absconders.

Reporting by DVB