Myanmar attends 18th AMMTC and related meetings

The Myanmar delegation led by Ministry of Home Affairs’ Chief of Myanmar Police Force (MPF) Police Lt-Gen Win Zaw Moe attended the 18th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime and its related meetings (18th AMMTC) in Vientiane, in Laos, from 27 to 29 August, and arrived back yesterday.
The opening ceremony of the 18th AMMTC and its related meetings was held at Latsavong Wanda Vista Hotel on 28 August, and ministers and senior officials of ten ASEAN member countries and observer Timor-Leste, the Secretary-General of ASEAN and relevant officials attended the event.
During the 18th AMMTC, the leader of the Myanmar delegation highlighted the severe impacts of drugs on millions of people around the world, saying the production and sale of drugs are related to money laundering, arms trafficking and terror acts, which affect state security, stability and the rule of law.
Although Myanmar is unable to produce precursor chemicals, they enter into the drug manufacturing facilities at border areas through various ways. Although non-governmental armed organizations in Myanmar denied that they were not concerned with drug cases, they import the chemicals into their controlled areas. They produce drugs with the help of foreign chemists.
He continued that the country conducted 40 special drug operations between 2023 and 2024 nationwide and Operation 39 in 2023 with the seizures of large sums of chemicals and drugs.
He then mentioned the online scam and financial frauds that led to human trafficking, collaboration between Myanmar Police Force and foreign authorities, recuse of 54,373 victims until 20 August 2024, and sending 52,164 back to China while 1,992 to ASEAN countries.
The 18th AMMTC approved two concept papers, two instructions, one guidance, two declarations and five joint statements.
During the second-day meeting on 29 August, the 14th AMMTC+ 3 (China, Japan, Korea) meeting, the 11th AMMTC+ China meeting, the 9th AMMTC+ Japan meeting and the 4th AMMTC+ ROK meeting were held.
During the 9th AMMTC+ Japan Meeting, regarding the discussion of the Japanese delegate on Myanmar affairs, the Myanmar delegate requested the Japanese delegate to follow the fundamental principles and policies stated in the ASEAN Charter and ASEAN Political and Security Community Blueprint (2025), especially the fact “non-interference in internal affairs of another country” as his discussion was contrary to the intention of the meeting.
The Myanmar delegation led by Myanmar SOMTC leader Officiating Police Brig-Gen Kyaw Zeya of Myanmar Police Force, Transnational Crime Division, attended the pre-coordination meetings of SOMTC, SOMTC+3, SOMTC+ China, SOMTC+ Japan and SOMTC+ ROK on 27 August. — MNA/KTZH