Kachin Police

Kachin State is the northernmost area of Burma. It was never ruled by the Burmese kings and the British administered the area directly. Perhaps because of it's remoteness the local police battalion was recruited from the indigenous population. This photo was taken in 1898 and shows the men wearing very large straw hats. A clearer view of this type of head-wear can be seen at Burmese Man 1905. The hat may well have been practical for guard duty but if the wearer had to run fast or move through a forest it would cause some problems. The rest of the uniform looks like standard army issue of the period.
I am not sure how long this unit survived but the battalions raised later in Kachin were the Putao, Mogaung, Bhamo and Myitkyina, mostly comprising Gurkhas, well accustomed to the high altitudes of the area.

Regimental Details | Uniforms