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Vietnam and Laos have reached a bilateral agreement to approach anti-human trafficking and provide support for its victims.
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| General Le Hong Anh, Mininister Thongbanh Sengaphone and delegates at the ceremony |
The signing ceremony, held in Hanoi on November 3, was attended by General Le Hong Anh, Minister of Public Security, and his Lao counterpart, Thongbanh Sengaphone. Other guests included representatives from agencies of the two countries as well as international organisations in Vietnam.
Under the agreement, the two sides will enhance information exchanges and cooperation in detecting and arresting criminals in human trafficking crimes as well as providing protection for the victims.
At the gathering, General Anh said, “Human trafficking has been a problem for a long time. It has had a negative and harmful impact on Southeast Asia, particularly women and children.”
The agreement is aimed to intensify legal approaches and to make the viewpoints and guidelines of the two nations clear and concrete, noted Anh.
Minister Thongbanh Sengaphone expected further support from the Vietnamese side in preventing and controlling crimes, especially trafficking of women and children.
The agreement helps to recommit the long-term cooperation between the neighbours in fighting human trafficking.
At a meeting on August 23, Deputies of the National Assembly Standing Committee emphasised the need to formulate a law against human trafficking as many well-organised and transnational rings had been uncovered. Between 2005 and 2009, police and border guard forces discovered 1,586 human trafficking cases involving 4,008 people, 60% of whom were traded to China to be sex workers. Ha Giang Province found 134 cases, followed by Lao Cai Province (105), Lang Son Province (95), Quang Ninh Province (73), Hanoi (66), Nghe An Province (66), Lai Chau Province (56) and Bac Giang Pprovince (44). |
