Joint action transforms Mekong region

The joint patrol and law enforcement action carried out by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand in the Mekong River region to maintain security and stability, promote regional economic and social development, and ensure the well-being of the people living along the river has achieved fruitful results over the past year, officials said.

Law enforcement departments from the four countries summarized the achievements made in the past year and looked ahead to future cooperation at the annual summary meeting held in Rangoon, Myanmar on Friday.

The year 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation initiative, in which the joint action plays an important part.

Over the past year, the law enforcement departments of the four countries have launched joint operations to combat illegal activities such as telecommunications fraud and drug crimes in the Mekong River region, to help the region transform from chaos to order and prosperity, according to the meeting.

During these operations, they have solved a series of significant cases, further strengthened control networks, blocked criminal channels and established information exchange databases.

They have conducted joint training in police combat, marine vessels engineering and other aspects of law enforcement to address various crimes under the new social security situation in the Mekong River region.

During the meeting, they reached consensus to work together to address traditional and nontraditional security threats in the Mekong River region, safeguard the safety of people's lives and property in the region, and continuously create new areas, models and platforms for law enforcement cooperation.

The 148th joint patrol was held from Tuesday to Thursday, with about 200 people and nine ships involved, starting from the Jingha Port in Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous region, Yunnan province, and arriving at the Muong Mom Port, Laos.

On Wednesday, the "Vision 2024" joint operation exercise was held in Muong Mom, which included mobile interception, waterborne inspection, underwater salvage, water-based pursuit and land-based inspection.

Inkeo Manichan, commander of the military area of the Luang Namtha province in Laos, said that over the past year, the security and stability condition of the Mekong River region has been maintained. People along the region have been able to travel normally, and their quality of life has been improving. However, in certain border areas, a small number of armed individuals engaged in illicit activities such as transnational crimes, drug trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling, and conducting illegal trade outside of official ports to evade authorities and customs, which led to social disorder, he said.

"In 2025, we will continue to support the joint patrol and law enforcement mechanism to ensure safe and convenient navigation, prevent and combat various illegal activities, benefiting the people living along the Mekong River and transforming it into a river of safe development," he said.

Noppadol Krungkrai, deputy commander of the fifth police region in Thailand, said that with the joint efforts of all parties, the Thai command center for preventing and combating illegal activities in the Mekong River region has achieved significant results.

"The 'Vision 2024' joint exercise is an important measure for all parties to enhance their response to emergencies. Through such exercises, they can elevate their cooperation levels, enhance their capabilities to address issues in the Mekong River region and strengthen cooperation and friendship among their countries," he said, adding that he hoped the joint action can maintain peace in the region, benefit the people along the Mekong River, and foster closer relationships among the countries.

Ko Ko Naing, deputy commander of the third command of the maritime police department of Myanmar, said over the past year, his department has conducted investigations and arrests to combat drug trafficking, arms smuggling and other cross-border illegal activities. They have been operating law enforcement boats for regular patrols, searches and investigations.

"Joint exercises aimed at improving the efficiency of case investigations among the four countries, enhancing search and rescue capabilities, and strengthening the overall qualities of law enforcement personnel are of positive significance," he said, adding that he wished for strengthening cooperation among the four parties to help maintain security in the Mekong River region.

Wang Gang, an official of the international cooperation bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, said that in the past year, all parties have upheld and promoted the spirit of the Mekong River, characterized by "unity, assistance, inclusiveness, equality and mutual benefit", to make significant progress in combating transnational crimes.

"The international shipping security level in the Mekong River has continued to improve, and the economic development in the region has been positive. The sense of security and happiness among the local populations along the river has been increasing, laying a solid foundation for building a higher level of 'peaceful Mekong'," he said.