Indochina judges target crime

SIEM REAP (VNS) — The Chief Judges of the Supreme People's Courts of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia have co-chaired a meeting with judges from the three countries' border localities with the aim of giving a boost to co-operation in combating transnational crime.

The three-day meeting, the second of its kind, got under way on Saturday in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

In his opening speech, Cambodian Chief Judge Dith Munthy said the meeting demonstrated a new move to show the determination of the three countries' supreme courts to boost both bilateral and multilateral co-operation in the fight against transnational crime.

He stressed the task required a high sense of political will from the three countries' administrations as well as people's involvement, adequate infrastructure, quick information sharing, and support from regional and international security partners.

According to Vietnamese Chief Judge Truong Hoa Binh, the meeting took place at a time when organised criminal gangs had stretched their operations beyond their national boundaries in a sophisticated manner that demanded closer co-operation between courts around the world.

As well as a good opportunity to review past co-operation, the meeting would also enable the three countries' court sectors to exchange experience in crime prevention and legal assistance, and discuss co-operation mechanisms for them and for their subordinates in border sharing provinces, Binh said.

Delegates will discuss a report on co-operation between the court sectors of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia and witness the signing of a joint statement at the event, scheduled to end today. — VNS