Myanmar opens villa for Safe Mekong in Taunggyi
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Tun MT (NP News) - Dec 1
The #Mekong Villa (or) Safe Mekong Coordination Center (SMCC) has been opened in Shan State’s Taunggyi on November 29 under the #Lancang_Mekong_Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund, according to a press release from the Chinese Embassy in #Myanmar yesterday (November 30).
The SMCC or the Mekong Villa in Taunggyi is launched, with the assistance of China, to combat the transnational drug trafficking especially across the region between China and Mekong countries.
The establishment of the Mekong Villa in Myanmar is expected to promote pragmatic coordination between six nations of the LMC in exchanging information, combating drug smuggling together in the Golden Triangle Region, and enhancing the sub-regional rule of law.
The Mekong River plays vital for cross-border shipping within the region. In a bid to crack down on transnational crimes and for a safe navigation through the river, a total of 123 joint Mekong River patrols by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand have been carried out so far, according to the Chinese Embassy’s statement.
These countries have been sharing information since 2013 on drug trafficking. Drugs and precursor chemicals and amphetamines were seized through the coordination patrol processes.