Thai and Cambodia police work on more effective anti-human trafficking cooperation



Bangkok (Thailand), 1 April 2013
- Cambodia and Thai law enforcement representatives took another step towards greater police-to-police cooperation to combat human trafficking as Cambodian and Thai law enforcement and prosecutors met recently at a UNODC-facilitated workshop.

Attendees -- including prosecutors from both countries and representatives from Thailand's Royal Thai Police (RTP) and Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Cambodian National Police (CNP) - met for the second time since August 2012 to build on established networks and to strengthen inter-country cooperation to fight human trafficking more effectively.



"Our presence at this UNODC-coordinated forum, signifies our progress to foster and enhance bilateral cooperation so we can eliminate trafficking in persons, especially in women and children," said Pol. Maj. Gen. Pol Piethey, Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department, Commissariat General of Cambodian National Police.

Besides sharing active human trafficking cases, participants engaged in an exercise that let them collaboratively discuss a hypothetical yet realistic human trafficking case involving law enforcement agencies of Cambodia and Thailand. Participants spoke openly about their expectations for each other and their own practical limitations, and demonstrated a clear and strong commitment to cooperate effectively across borders.



"Thailand and Cambodia are committed to combat human trafficking together," said Police General Chatchawal Suksomjit, Advisor, Royal Thai Police. "More police-to-police liaison will forge stronger relations and improve communication and intelligence sharing channels to stop human trafficking activity."

This workshop on the Thai-Cambodian anti-human trafficking units was made possible through the generous support of the Government of the United States of America.