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ASEAN vows to improve transnational victim, witness protection
Delegations of the bloc's member states agreed on declarations for capacity building and secure information exchanges in the fight against transnational crimes such as human trafficking, violent extremism and arms smuggling.
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Officers of the National Police's Mobile Brigade stand guard on May 5, 2023, at the venue of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara. (Antara/Zabur Karuru)
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outheast Asian nations pledged to provide better protection to victims and witnesses of human trafficking and other transnational crimes, the states declared during a recent regional police meeting.
Delegations of member states agreed on four declarations during the 17th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara on Monday. During the meeting, the delegations discussed measures to fight transnational crimes, such as human trafficking, terrorism, money laundering and drug and arms smuggling.
The meeting, scheduled to run from Monday to Wednesday, was led by National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo.
The victim protection declaration, called the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation in Protecting and Assisting Witnesses and Victims of Transnational Crime, was proposed by Indonesia, which recently intensified crackdowns on human trafficking.
“The declaration will push for similar commitments from ASEAN states in drafting policies about protecting witnesses and victims of transnational crimes, especially in cases of human trafficking and terrorism,” said National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ahmad Ramadhan in a statement on Monday.
Two days before the Labuan Bajo meeting kicked off, the National Police named at least 900 suspects in various human trafficking cases across the country. The police have opened investigations into at least 600 alleged human trafficking cases since May.
Read also: Distrust puts overseas Indonesian trafficking victims in peril
