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The recent capture of a drug lordsuspected of masterminding the murder of 13 Chinese sailors lastyear has demonstrated the effectiveness of regional securitycooperation, according to Chinese police and analysts. Naw Kham, head of an armed drug gang, was arrested on April 25 atan undisclosed location and sent to China via a chartered plane onMay 10. A joint investigation by police from China, Laos, Myanmar andThailand found that Naw Kham, core members of the gang and a smallnumber of Thai soldiers planned and conducted the murder of 13Chinese sailors on two cargo ships on Oct. 5 last year. DEADLY WATERWAY With a length of almost 5,000 kilometers, the Mekong River is oneof the most important waterways in southeast Asia, linking thecountries of China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Since signing a pact related to merchant ship navigation on theriver, the four countries have conducted cooperation in trade,tourism and resource exploitation, turning the river into a "goldenwaterway." However, the river's "Golden Triangle" region is notorious for itspoor security caused by the spread of drug gangs, inefficienttransportation and a diverse mixture of ethnicities andnationalities. "The region is the world's biggest area for producing drugs,whether it's heroin or new types of narcotics," said Hu Zujun, headof the Narcotics Control Bureau of the Public Security Departmentof southwest China's Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar. Driven by huge profits, many drug dealers in the region collaboratewith militants and form well-organized gangs equipped with advancedweaponry, Hu said. Naw Kham was a leader of such a gang, with more than 100 activemembers in the region. Armed with assault rifles, bazookas andmachine guns, The gang is believed to have engaged in drugtrafficking, kidnapping, murder, looting and other crimes along theMekong River for years. The group has even targeted police officers. In February 2008, aChinese police speedboat was shot by Naw Kham's gang in watersbelonging to Laos during a bilateral police exchange mission. Twopolicemen and one sailor were seriously injured. "The attack was a vengeful strike at our cooperation with Laos indrug control," said Qin Hua, a Chinese police officer who wasseriously injured in the incident. Armed violence has turned the "golden waterway" into a deadly area,and also threatened the lives of people in neighboring countries. INT'L COOPERATION NEEDED "Since reviewing the Oct. 5 incident, we have learned that drugcontrol cannot be conducted purely through domestic efforts," Husaid. "International cooperation is the solution to drug control." Liu Zhi, director of the international relations institute ofYunnan University, said the drug economy in the "Golden Triangle"has a history of more than 100 years. In recent decades, the drug trade has encroached on China'sborders, with more drug harvesting areas being set up near Yunnanprovince since the mid-1980s. In 1998, Chinese authorities made efforts to help local peopleplant alternative crops instead of poppies, helping to decrease theoverall drug harvesting area. "Joint efforts should be made by the international community totransform the region's economy and help it realize sustainabledevelopment," Liu suggested. A cooperative mechanism used by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailandhas been established to help crack down on cross-border drugtrafficking, allowing authorities to successfully uncover a seriesof offenses. China will deepen cooperation with countries near the "GoldenTriangle" and jointly carry out law enforcement to destroy druggangs and networks in the area, Chinese police said. "China must strengthen cooperation and communication withneighboring countries to protect legal rights for overseasChinese," said Wang Fangrong, chief of the public security bureauof Yunnan's Xishuangbanna prefecture, a frontline in the country'sefforts to combat the drug trade. "The Mekong River basin cannot develop through the efforts of justa single country," Wang added. NEW COOPERATIVE MODEL On Dec. 10 last year, business returned to Guanlei county, a porton the Mekong River that borders Myanmar. Traffic on aninternational route on the river resumed more than two months afterthe Oct. 5 incident. The resumption of the route resurrected the long-standing issue ofhow to protect the safety of Chinese nationals abroad. China responded promptly after the incident occurred. The Ministryof Public Security called together a special investigation taskforce and sent investigators to Thailand to work on the case withpolice there. Later, China held several security conferences with Laos, Thailandand Myanmar. At a conference on Oct. 31, the four countries agreedto establish a mechanism for cooperation in security and lawenforcement. At another conference on Nov. 26, an agreement wasreached to kick off joint patrols and law enforcement on the MekongRiver starting mid-December. So far, the countries have conductedthree successful joint patrols. "After the tragedy, scores of sailors transferred to other trades,but now I want to tell them they can sail with ease on the MekongRiver as a result of the joint patrols," said Huang Xingqiang, thebrother of one of the victims of the Oct. 5 incident. Shipping companies and local residents alike have mentioned arenewed sense of security since the establishment of the patrols,with international shipping and tourism returning to their previousstates. "Maintaining stability and security is a common wish of peopleliving along the Mekong River and is in the common interests andduties of the four countries on the river," said Khamvan, commanderof a Laos patrol ship. Prof. Liu pointed out the incident indicates that cooperationbetween countries on the river should bolster not only economics,but also security. Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos have put forward a joint proposal tocrack down on the trafficking of weapons and drugs, kidnapping andthe establishment of illegal armed groups. An officer from China's investigative task force for the Oct. 5incident said the joint patrols were "instrumental" in the arrestof Naw Kham and his cohorts, adding that China will continue todeepen international security cooperation. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Cold Rolled Coils Manufacturer , Cold Rolled Stainless Steel Coil, and more. For more , please visit Spring Steel Strips today!
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