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First China-Myanmar Border Liaison Offices Meeting on Anti-trafficking and Joint Border Visit

According to the bilateral cooperation framework agreed between China and Myanmar police and the expansion of the Border Liaison Offices (BLO) to include human trafficking, the first local cross-border meeting and joint border field visit to combat human trafficking were taken place from February 6 to 8, 2007 in Ruili, China and Muse, Myanmar.

Around 35 Senior officials from two governments both central and local, and 16 representatives from UN agencies and INGOs joined these very improtant activities. The meeting and field visit were supported by UNICEF, UNIAP, UNODC, ARTIP, World Vision and Save the Children.

Chinese participants were from Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Ministry of Public Security (MPS), Department of International Convention, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Yunnan provincial Bureau of Public Security (BPS), Dehong Prefecture BPS, Ruili City BPS. Myanmar Participants were from Central Body for Suppression of Trafficking in Persons, Department against Transnational Crime, Myanmar Police Force, Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation, and others from Muse Distric.

In Bilateral meeting was focus on the three following topics:

• Rescue and repatriation of Myanmar victims: how both parties can cooperate to ensure safe and timely repatriation and apprehension of perpetrators;
• Extradition of Myanmar nationals convicted of trafficking in China;
• Efforts by the two sides to control illegal cross-border migration.

For field visiting included following activities:

(1) in China side:

• Border check point and unofficial border path
• Yinjing Village on the border line
• Jiegao border trade market
• Proposed venue of BLO in Police Station

(2) in Myanmar side:

• Sin phyu Check point
• Anti-Trafficking Task Force Office
• Nan Taw Check point
• Proposed Venue of BLO in Police Station 
• Unofficial border path
• 105 Border Trade Zone

The purpose of Establishing multiple BLOs in strategic locations along the border is to strenghten information sharing, intelligence exchange, the arrest of traffickers, prosecution and mutual assistance in rescuing and repatriating victims.

The 2007 work plan for China-Myanmar Cooperation activities as below (will be discussed again):

(1) Establish BLO in Muse (January 2007) and Ruili (before June 2007)
(2) Monthly information exchange meetings (alternate between Muse and Ruili)
(3) Visits to share experiences and good practices
(4) Meeting on the development of child & women friendly repatriation mechanisms
(5) Joint training and study tour on international instruments and best practices
(6) Local meetings to be held as part of BLO mechanisms
(7) Organise a bilateral annual review meeting  to discuss progress under the Cooperation Framework and plan 2008 activities
(8) Conduct joint audience analysis and develop communication strategies
(9) Expected result: develop quality IEC materials as part of an awareness campaign
(10) Joint training and study tour on relevant issues

(Source: UNIAP China)