Thai PM calls on integrated border management among ASEAN members

BANGKOK, April 3 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has called on an integrated action on the border management among member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), paving the way for the establishment of a joint regional mechanism on the more concrete border management in the future. The Thai premier made the call on Wednesday while opening and delivering a speech at the High Level Regional Conference: Synchronising Trade and Security Plans in Support of ASEAN 2025, being held at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok during April 3-4, stressing that he believed the ongoing regional gathering should bring about and sustain the enanced and concrete cooperation among ASEAN member countries on their integrated border management in the future, in which the key economic, security, operational and law enforcement dimensions are included. "The development of the borderless ASEAN Community (AC) has caused some adverse effects, including a steady increase in the transnational crime through the seamless border areas due partly to the abuse of more advanced technologies and the expanding cross-border transport connectivity", said the Thai premier. The Thai leader, thus, urged all ASEAN member countries to jointly find ways to practically prevent and crack down the widely expanding and more sophisticated transnational crime through their integrated border management, while also carrying on their plans on promoting and sustaining cross-border trade, investment and safe public communications that are the major objectives of the development of the borderless AC. The Thai prime minister expressed his hope that useful information, intelligence reports, ideas and opinions in relevant areas would be shared between ASEAN member countries and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) during the ongoing two-day gathering towards their concrete cooperation on preventing and suppressing the transnational crime and other systematic cross-border challenges or threats. Besides, the Thai leader hoped for agreed moves on the further development of border areas to reduce economic and social disparity in the region. As Thailand plays the role of the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2019, under the theme of "Advancing Partnership for Sustainability”, the Thai leader stated that results from the ongoing two-day regional conference will be further discussed at other relevant ASEAN forums. (TNA)