H.E. Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana, Minister of Justice of Thailand, opened the Ministerial Meeting on the Assistance Plan for the Golden Triangle Operation

News / View / ASEAN Information

Thursday 2nd of March 2017

H.E. Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana, Minister of Justice of Thailand, opened the Ministerial Meeting on the Assistance Plan for the Golden Triangle Operation

             The Meeting on the Assistance Plan for the Golden Triangle Operation with Donor Countries/Agencies was convened on Thursday ,2 March 2017 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Delegations from almost 20 donor countries/agencies inside the Greater Mekong Sub-Region, ASEAN and outside of more than 80 participants showed strong interest and participated in the Meeting.

             Due to a grave concern of the Royal Thai Government over the severity of the drug situation in the Golden Triangle and its negative impacts on countries both inside and outside this region, Thailand has initiated and proposed a new operation plan, called “the Golden Triangle Operation” under the Safe Mekong Operation Project –SMOP. The SMOP is a successful cooperation among 6 countries in the Great Mekong Sub-Region, namely, China,Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam. This Golden Triangle Operation is aimed at reducing the capacity of illicit drug production in the Golden Triangle and negative consequences to insignificant level for countries both inside and outside the region. Relied upon the principles and strategies of the Safe Mekong Operation, the Golden Triangle Operation focuses on preventing the diversion and the smuggling of precursor chemicals to illicit drug production in the Golden Triangle and the smuggling of drugs from the area and defined 11 target areas of operation. The success of this Operation requires sufficient support in order to strengthen countries located in the area but having limited resources for their fight against drugs, especially Myanmar, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Viet Nam. In response to these aforementioned concerns, Thailand hosted this Meeting.

             The Meeting on the Assistance Plan is aimed at increasing awareness and call on donor countries and agencies to pay more attention to the significance of drug problems in the Golden Triangle and allow a great chance for them to join this pursuit and make contribution based on the principles of partnership and shared responsibility to promote the success of the Operation and likewise a safer world in the future. The Meeting took place during 28 February-3 March 2017 and contained 2 key parts:

              Part 1: Study Visits on the Safe Mekong Operation Project include

              on Wednesday, 1 March 2017 the field trip and observation of the Safe Mekong Operation along Mekong River and the areas of coordinated river patrol of four countries, China, Lao PDR and Myanmar, as well as, the geographic characteristic of natural borderline and economics along Mekong River. Lao PDR and Myanmar were very cooperative by sending their patrol boats cruising along to demonstrate the patrol task of the SMOP members and for security of the delegations. In the morning of Thursday, 2 March 2017, the briefing at the Safe Mekong Coordination Centre (SMCC), Chiang Mai, as well as, the Handover Ceremony of the Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) from the Australian Border Force (ABF) to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) for use in the Safe Mekong Operation the Golden Triangle Operation were held at the SMCC.

              Part 2: The Meeting on the Assistance Plan in the afternoon of Thursday, 2 March 2017: H.E. Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana delivered the Opening Address and chaired the Meeting. Before starting the Meeting, it was a great honour to welcome H.E. General Paiboon Koomchaya, Privy Councillor, as an honorary guest speaker on the topic of ‘International Drug Control Cooperation Strategies’.

              The Meeting was concluded successfully with the following salient points:

              1. The Meeting acknowledged the severity of illicit drug problems in the Golden Triangle and its negative impacts and agreed with the Golden Triangle Operation to refocus targets and workplans to be more specific and comprehensive against the illicit drug production in the Golden Triangle and to reduce its capacity to no longer harm countries both inside and outside this region.

              2.The Meeting appreciated the efforts made by Thailand to formulate the Assistance Plan for the Golden Triangle Operation and to propose this Assistance Plan to donor countries and agencies for their support that will help to ensure the success and sustainability of the Operation based on the principles of partnership and shared responsibility.

             3. The Meeting appreciated the commitment to the principles of partnership and shared responsibility and support made by donor countries/agencies to this Assistance Plan, particularly, in capacity-building for officers in Lao PDR, Myanmar, Cambodia and Viet Nam and their consideration for potential assistance to this Assistance Plan in the future

             4. The Meeting agreed to the Thailand’s proposal on Assistance Plan for the Golden Triangle Operation for the Safe Mekong Operation member countries, namely, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.