Mekong nations agree to beat human trafficking

October 28, 2004

Rangoon – Senior officials from the Greater Mekong Sub-region yesterday agreed to a historic deal aimed at ending human trafficking in the six-nation grouping.

The deal won the unanimous approval of officials from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China and Thailand who are gathering in the Myanmar capital of Rangoon for a two-day meeting, at which Thailand is being represented by Mr. Wanlop Phloytabtim, the Permanent Secretary for Social Development and Human Security.

Under the agreed memorandum of understanding (MOU), the six nations will work on the five key areas of policy--planning and intra-regional cooperation, the urgent issuance of legislation and legal training for officials, protection and rehabilitation for victims of human trafficking, preventative measures including employment training and poverty-elimination programmes, and monitoring and assessment.

The MOU will be officially signed by ministers from the six countries, including Thai Social Development and Human Security Minister Sora-at Klinpratoom, when they meet in Rangoon on 29 October.

Mr. Wanlop revealed that the six countries had also agreed to both central and intra-regional plans on human trafficking, including separate agreements between Thailand and Myanmar, and Thailand and Laos.

Hailing the progress as highly positive, Mr. Wanlop said: “Today we have an excellent atmosphere of cooperation in resisting human trafficking. This is particularly the case of the Thai government, with the prime minister attaching a great deal of importance to this issue”.

Thailand is already drawing up plans for various agencies in the public and private sectors to help clamp down on human trafficking.

In addition, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has proposed the Human Trafficking Protection Bill, which is soon due to go before the cabinet.

Under the proposed legislation, the victims of human trafficking would be treated as victims in need of rehabilitation as opposed to criminals.

Mr. Wanlop said that the Greater Mekong meeting on human trafficking, the first of its kind since the establishment of the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the year 2000, gave off positive signals for regional progress.

He also noted the positive fact that Myanmar, where human trafficking is a major problem, proposed itself as the host of the meeting.

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