00:00ASEAN leaders are calling for urgent action to advance the peace process in Myanmar in
00:07order to curb the rise in transnational crime in Southeast Asia.
00:11In an interview with FMT on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Minister's retreat,
00:16Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hassan pointed out that Myanmar had overtaken Afghanistan
00:21as the world's largest producer of opium, an issue the bloc cannot ignore.
00:27He said Myanmar's crisis was no longer just a domestic problem there and that the ASEAN
00:32family cannot afford to have a member state saddled by such a crisis.
00:37Many in Myanmar have been led into transnational crime as a result of the nation's ongoing
00:42humanitarian crisis since the 2021 military coup.
00:46Besides the drug trade, the United Nations reported in 2023 that at least 120,000 people
00:53may be trapped in Myanmar's scam parks, where human trafficking victims are forced
00:58into online scams.
01:00Thailand and China, which share a border with Myanmar, have been particularly affected
01:04by these syndicates.
01:06Nikorndet Palankun, a spokesman for the Thai foreign ministry, said China's support
01:11to combat transnational crime and bolster cybersecurity, in addition to ASEAN's efforts,
01:17was particularly welcome.
01:19Thailand sees this matter as transboundary in nature, therefore we need all the help
01:28from every country involved and we believe that this is a matter of regional concern.
01:37Our focus as we look forward to the 2025 Malaysian Championship is to help Malaysia and work
01:46very closely with Malaysia along with all the ASEAN members to address these non-traditional
01:52challenges and collaborate on combating human trafficking, transnational crimes, drug trafficking,
02:00online scams and so on and so forth.
02:03In response to the new threat, a working group on combating online scams was set up at the
02:08ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting in January.
02:11The bloc is also working with external partners to shore up its cyber defenses.
02:17Natasha Bust, FMT News.
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