The Office of the Supreme People’s Prosecutor (OSPP) in partnership with Institute for Legal Support and Technical Assistance (ILSTA) and international partners from Luxembourg and Canada recently staged an inaugural national conference to counter the global threats of human trafficking, smuggling of migrants and organised crime. The conference brought together prosecutors, members of the judiciary and police from all 17 provinces in Laos in order to strengthen cooperation and joint efforts to combat these serious threats to society.
This was the first conference of its kind bringing together key law enforcement agencies from every province as well as the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice to address these interlinked issues, said Mr. Khamsane Souvong, President of OSPP. It is very important that we look at all of these issues together and draw lessons of best practice in how to counter them. As globalisation increases, transnational crime and human trafficking proliferates, and it is our responsibility to combat this.
Mr. Khampane Sayyavong from the Anti-Human Trafficking Department of the Ministry of Public Security gave a detailed and informative presentation to the conference in which he outlined the work of the Anti-Human Trafficking Department in disseminating information on trafficking, and conducting legal training on what constitutes the crime of human trafficking. Law enforcement officers must be aware of the key elements of human trafficking in order to successfully bring a prosecution against traffickers through the court system.
Mr. Khampane revealed the methods traffickers use in luring young victims into what is essentially modern-day slavery. The sole purpose of traffickers is to make money by exploiting their victims; mostly those aged 10 – 25, as they are more vulnerable and easier to control. Victims are ruthlessly exploited by the traffickers and are often forced into prostitution, beaten, tortured and killed. They suffer physical harm and long-term psychological consequences.
The three-day conference brought together international experts from UNODC, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN-ACT, and ILSTA. The Anti-Money Laundering Intelligence Office (AMLIO) of the Bank of Laos represented by Mr. Vernsavanh Sivilay, Vice-Director of AMLIO, stressed that a key way to punish traffickers is to target the criminal proceeds from human trafficking. Banks need to be alert therefore to unusual transactions and must correctly enforce their “KYC” (know your customer) procedures.
The event was supported by the Ministry of Finance of Luxembourg and the government of Canada. Mr. Claude Jentgen of the Embassy of Luxembourg stressed that a strong, coordinated response is required in combating the smuggling of migrants and human trafficking. Ms Lee-Anne Herman from the Embassy of Canada said that Canada was pleased to support capacity building in Laos in the legal sector and in financial institutions in order to combat illegal transnational activity.
Among the recommendations from the conference was the decision to make the forum an annual capacity building event, promoting cooperation among national law enforcement agencies, as well as drawing on national, regional and international expertise. The conference also recommended strengthening awareness at all levels of society on the dangers of human trafficking, smuggling of migrants and organised crime and the risks these serious crimes pose to the development of the country.
Mr. Richard Philippart, President of the Institute for Legal Support and Technical Assistance (ILSTA), stressed that transnational crimes can only be addressed effectively through cooperation between law enforcement agencies both within states and beyond their borders.
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