THE annual meeting of the chiefs of police belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) which aims to tackle transnational crime concerns and international criminal activity affecting Asean-member states started Tuesday.
Hosted by the Philippine National Police (PNP), the 34th Asean Association of Police Chiefs (Aseanapol) conference dubbed “Forging Strong Partnership for Peace, Security and Progress” was officially opened by President Benigno S. Aquino III on May 13 at the Sofitel Plaza Manila.
Delegates were Dato Seri Pahlawan Bahrin Bin Mohd Noor, Commissioner of Police of the Royal Brunei Police Force; Police Lieutenant General Suos Angkear, Deputy Commissioner of the Cambodian National Police; Police General Drs Suhardi Alius, Commissioner General of the Indonesian National Police; Brigadier General Sisavath Keomalavong, Chief of Police of the General Department of Lao Police; Tan Sri Dig Dato’ Sri Khalid Bin Abu Bakar, Inspector General of Police of the Royal Malaysia Police; Police Major General Zaw Win, Chief of the Myanmar Police Force; Commissioner Ng Joo Hee, Commissioner of Police of the Singapore Police Force; Police General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police Force and Police Lieutenant General Trieu Van Dat, Deputy General Director of the General Department of Vietnam Police.
Also present as dialogue partners and observer were Commissioner Tony Negus, Commissioner of Police of the Australian Federal Police; Mr. Liao Jinrong, Director of International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Public Security of China; Deputy Commissioner General Masahito Kanetaka, Deputy Commissioner General of the National Police Agency of Japan; Deputy Commissioner General Lee In Seon, Deputy Commissioner General of the National Police Agency of the Republic of Korea; Assistant Commissioner Malcolm Burgess, Assistant Commissioner of Police of the New Zealand Police; Secretary Ronald Noble, Secretary General of International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO-INTERPOL); and Deputy Secretary Nyan Lynn, ASEAN Deputy Secretary General as Dialogue Partners; General Colonel Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation; and Sac PG. Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Wahab, Executive Director of the Aseanapol Secretariat.
Included in the agenda of the 34th Aseanapol are the issues on transnational crime related to illegal drug trafficking, terrorism, arms smuggling, human trafficking, maritime fraud, commercial crime, bank offenses and credit card fraud, cyber crime, fraudulent travel documents and transnational fraud.
The delegates will also attend discussions to establish better coordination and communication mechanisms for interaction, to foster mutual assistance and cooperation and to increase regional cooperation against transnational crime.
“The 34th Aseanapol signifies further strengthening of ties among ASEAN police agencies for the enhancement of mutual cooperation and collaboration as this conference marks a homecoming for member nations,” PNP Chief Director General Alan L. Purisima said.
“The PNP is honored to host this year’s ASEANAPOL conference as a gesture of our firm commitment to regional peace and security under the spirit of Asean solidarity,” he added.
The Aseanapol was founded in Manila in 1981. The PNP has since hosted four annual conferences in 1981, 1987, 1993 and 2003.
At the end of the four-day conference, the Aseanapol will draft and ratify a Joint Communiqué to set the direction of future activities. (Sunnex)