By CGTN's Meng Qingsheng
The Lancang-Mekong River serves as a large conduit for trade between China and its neighbors. But over the years, some have been using the route for more unscrupulous purposes -- making the trans-boundary river a hotbed of terrorism, trafficking and other forms of crime. Chinese border control police and their counterparts from Laos, Myanmar and Thailand are working together to keep the waterway safe.
Border control police from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand conduct Mekong River Joint Patrol. So far, they have made 57 patrols since it was launched in December, 2011. /CGTN Photo
According to Li Yong, a Chinese side commander for Mekong River Joint Patrol, intelligence shows that ISIL has plans to infiltrate countries in south and southeast Asia. In fact, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime says, the foreign terrorist fighters (FTF) threat for Southeast Asian countries is a palpable one -- at least 1,000 citizens from the region have traveled to join terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq since 2014, and most are with ISIL.
The Mekong River is also a hotbed for violence and crime. In October 2011, 13 Chinese sailors were killed on the river's steady waters by armed gangsters. Since then, Chinese border control police have worked with their regional counterparts to conduct monthly joint patrols.
Front-line officers from Mekong countries are working to curb the movement of terrorists into Southeast Asia. /CGTN Photo
Captain Yan Fan has been patrolling the Mekong since the program was launched in December, 2011. In an interview with CGTN, he says there are still many armed groups along the Mekong River. For the moment, no one can rule out such incidents from happening again. He added that the joint patrol will narrow down the scope of criminals trying to escape after each incident.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has warned of a rise in drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle. Out of all the drugs manufactured in the Mekong area, methamphetamine is the main one.
In March 2013, a patrolling team from China and Laos found a record 579.7 kilograms of methamphetamine inside a cargo ship. /Photo provided by China Border Control Police
Back in 2013, Mekong nations started the Safe Mekong joint operation to combat the transnational threat of illicit drugs. They share intelligence on the known movement of narcotics, and crack down on illicit drug trafficking.
Countries involved in the joint patrols are now expanding the scope of their cooperation. Patrol officers conduct rescue missions to help ships in trouble, and also help local residents foster sustainable businesses, like growing rubber and other economic crops, to improve living standards along the river.
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