Viet Nam and Myanmar prioritize cooperation in combating emerging crimes

The high-level delegation of the Myanmar Ministry of Home Affairs was in Hanoi to attend the ASEAN Law Enforcement High-level Conference on Cooperation in Combatting Criminal Fugitives.

Reviewing bilateral relations, Deputy Minister Le Van Tuyen noted that, built on political trust between Vietnam and Myanmar, cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the Myanmar Ministry of Home Affairs has achieved positive results. The two sides have established a biennial ministerial-level cooperation mechanism, conducted seven annual deputy ministerial-level security dialogues, and signed key legal agreements on crime prevention, narcotics control, psychotropic substances, and precursor chemicals.

Deputy Minister Le Van Tuyen observed that transnational crime involving both countries will remain complex in the time to come, particularly drug trafficking, human trafficking, online fraud, and international economic crime.

He proposed that the two sides continue effectively implementing signed agreements, notably the 2004 Intergovernmental Agreement on Crime Prevention and Control and the Agreement on Cooperation in Controlling Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, and Precursor Chemicals. He suggested that the two sides accelerate negotiations toward signing a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters and a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Preventing and Combating Human Trafficking.

Furthermore, Deputy Minister Le Van Tuyen stressed the need for more delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high-level and expert delegations, while enhancing information sharing and comprehensive coordination between the two ministries. Priority should be given to tackling emerging crimes, high-tech crime, and online fraud, alongside stronger joint efforts to apprehend and extradite wanted fugitives hiding in either country, particularly ringleaders of transnational drug syndicates and masterminds of major criminal cases.

Further, Deputy Minister Le Van Tuyen expressed hope that the two sides will continue to support each other at regional and international forums, back mutual initiatives within multilateral mechanisms against transnational crime, and maintain or establish direct hotlines for information exchange, verification, investigation and fugitive capture. He proposed expanding cooperation in training, law enforcement capacity building and foreign language instruction, while sharing expertise in tracing wanted individuals linked to the two countries and the broader region.

Concurring with Deputy Minister Le Van Tuyen’s assessments of the bilateral ties and regional situation, Major General Min Thu affirmed that the Myanmar Ministry of Home Affairs attaches high importance to its friendly relations and cooperation with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security. He expressed Myanmar’s desire to maintain existing cooperation mechanisms, step up delegation exchanges and information sharing, and coordinate closely in combating transnational crime, especially drug offences, human trafficking, high-tech crime, online scams, and wanted criminals.

Major General Min Thu also expressed confidence that the two ministries will continue strengthening coordination via bilateral channels, within the ASEAN framework, and across international crime prevention platforms, while boosting training collaboration to render bilateral ties increasingly practical and effective.