Minister Urges Better Cooperation To Combat Transnational Crime

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Minister of Home Affairs, Pehin Dato PadukaAwang Haji Adanan, attended the 5th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (5th AMMTC ) in Hanoi, Vietnam last Tuesday.

According to a press release from the Prime Minister's Office, Brunei Darussalam's delegation included Dato PadukaHaji Sulaiman bin Haji Ismail, Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister's Office and senior officials from the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Defence, Attorney General's Chambers, Royal Brunei Police Force and Royal Customs and Excise Department.

The meeting was officially opened by Mr Vu Khoan, Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam and chaired by General Le Hong Anh, Minister of Public Security of Vietnam.

During the meeting, Pehin Dato Paduka Awang Haji Adanan stressed the importance of better cooperation and coordination among the various ASEAN bodies involved in combating transnational crime such as the ASEAN Senior Law Officials Meeting (ASLOM), ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD), the ASEAN Chiefs of National Police (ASEANAPOL) and the ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration and the Heads of Consular Affairs of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs (DGICM) so that there would be synergy in efforts amongst these bodies.

The ASEAN ministers adopted a Joint Communique which, amongst others, expressed their commitment to accelerate the implementation of the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime, the press release stated.

The ASEAN ministers also endorsed the recommendation of the 5th Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime in Siem Reap, Cambodia to give priority to cooperation to combat four transnational - crimes, namely, terrorism, illicit drug trafficking, trafficking in persons and money laundering, while maintaining cooperation to combat the four other crimes (arms smuggling, sea piracy, international economic crime and cyber crime).

The meeting was followed by the 2nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime + 3 (China, Japan and the Reublic of Korea) on 30 November 2005.

Brunei Darussalam will be the host of the 6th AMMTC and the 3rd AMMTC +3 in Bandar Seri Begawan in 2007.  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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