Police forces of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia review coordination in fighting human trafficking

Deputy Minister Le QuyVuong speaks at the event.

Senior Lieutenant General Le Quy Vuong, Deputy Minister of Public Security, attended the conference and delivered a keynote speech.

The event also saw the presence of Major General Tran Ngoc Ha, Director of the Criminal Police Department under the MPS and Head of the Vietnamese delegation; Youk Sokha, Deputy Commissioner General of the Cambodia National Police, Head of the Cambodian delegation; and Colonel Phengsavan Thipphavongxay, Vice Director of the General Department of Police under the Ministry of Security of Laos, Head of the Lao delegation.

Reports revealed that functional forces of Vietnam uncover 400 cases of human trafficking every year. In particular, the number of cases of overseas human trafficking accounts for about 80% of the total. In 2018, the police force of Vietnam detected 211 human trafficking cases, arrested 276 involved subjects and rescued 386 victims. 

Heads of the three delegations sign the minutes of the conference.

More than 80% of the victims were provided with initial supports, psychological counseling, health care and legal assistance. Many victims received financial aid, vocational training and employment, helping them  settle down their lives and quickly reintegrate into society.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister Le Quy Vuong expressed his hope that leaders of the participating delegations would further direct their subordinate units to effectively implement the bilateral cooperation agreement on prevention and fight against human trafficking signed between the Governments of Vietnam and Cambodia in 2005) and between the Governments of Vietnam and Laos in 2010.

He also underlined the need to promote dissemination of information about human trafficking to raise the public awareness of protecting themselves from human traffickers as well as to actively participate in prevention and fight against trafficking in persons, focusing on key areas and routes, particularly the border area of the 3 countries.

Deputy Minister Le Quy Vuong and other delegates.

Deputy Minister Vuong emphasized that relevant forces of the three countries should well maintain and promote the role of the available hotlines and liaison offices to exchange information about criminals and victims, and effectively handle issues of mutual concern.

He also asked relevant forces of each country to actively coordinate with authorities of border areas, organize regular and irregular meetings to exchange the local situation, and develop coordination mechanism. The Vietnamese Deputy Minister also urged the three countries’ forces to promptly detect and prevent the formation of any organizations and complicated criminal networks in border areas, as well as to reach consensus on the launch of joint intensive campaigns against transnational crimes in 2019.