Thailand links up with ASEAN to battle human trafficking
December 17, 2004
Bangkok – The 5th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministerial
meeting on social welfare and development kicked off in Bangkok today with a
pledge to stamp out human trafficking throughout the region.
Opening the meeting in the Four Seasons' Hotel, Social Development and Human
Security Minister Sora-at Klinpratoom told ministers from the 10 ASEAN members,
joined this year for the first time by ministers from South Korea, China and
Japan, that the conference represented an important opportunity to develop
regional peace and security.
By the year 2020, the ASEAN grouping hopes to have made the transformation into
the ASEAN Community, based on the three principles of a political and security
community, an economic community, and a social and cultural community.
During the Bangkok meeting, he said, ministers would draw up strategic plans to
cooperate on solving social welfare problems affecting the region as a whole,
while also signing an agreement to clamp down on human trafficking.
Thailand has already signed human trafficking agreements with Laos, Vietnam,
Cambodia, Myanmar and China.
Noting the region’s vast disparities in wealth, Mr. Sora-at said: “ASEAN
cooperation in social welfare and development must include the easing of
hardship caused by poverty, disease and social inequality.
Important problems are migrant labour and human trafficking, the changing
nature of family life, the spread of AIDS, insecurity of life, and lack of good
quality housing”.
Urging that these problems be taken seriously, the social development and human
security minister spoke of the need for ASEAN to become a caring community,
based on sustainable consensus.
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US
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