Securing the Mekong

Xu Xun

Joint river patrols by China， Laos， Myanmar and Thailand ensure the safety of one of Southeast Asia's most important waterways.

As three patrol boats of the China Border Police berthed at Guanlei Port in Yunnan Province at 12：00 a.m. on Dec. 29， 2017， the 65th patrol of the Mekong River jointly conducted by law enforcement personnel from China， Laos， Myanmar and Thailand was successfully completed.

According to Li Yong， the Chinese commander of the 65th joint patrol of the law enforcement team and water team deputy chief of the Yunnan Border Police General Corps， the patrol mission along key areas of the Mekong， including the Golden Triangle region and Xieng Kok in Laos， involved patrolling the entire waterway， patrolling by sections and on-board training. In total， the 65th joint patrol covered a distance of 512 kilometers over 38 hours and involved inspecting 16 ships and 37 passengers. The patrol also featured friendly exchanges between crew members and locals； crew members of Patrol Boat 53901 of the China Border Police visited Myanmars Wan Pong water police station， participated in semaphore activities and invited local students and residents to board and inspect the boat.

Running through China and several Southeast Asian countries， the Lancang-Mekong River has been an important channel facilitating economic cooperation between China and regional countries since the river was opened to navigation in 2011 while also serving as an important international shipping route in the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area. The people of Mekong countries have greatly benefited from the waterway， and continue to place their hopes for a better life and future development all in this great river.

The Mekong River passes through numerous remote mountainous regions in Laos， Myanmar and Thailand， which shield the Golden Triangle from ordinary methods of surveillance. Driven by huge profits， drug and gun trafficking remains rampant in the area. With merchant vessels frequently robbed by armed groups， the security situation for the shipping routes of the area has deteriorated over the past decades.

Following the hijacking of two Chinese cargo ships and the killing of all 13 crew members by drug traffickers in the Golden Triangle region on Oct. 5， 2011， shipping along the busy watercourse was suspended. In response to the incident， the Chinese government demanded a thorough investigation and the quick arrest of the perpetrators.

Nearly four weeks after the massacre， a China-Laos-Myanmar-Thailand Ministerial Meeting on Law Enforcement Cooperation was held in Beijing on Oct. 31， 2011. During the meeting， the four countries agreed that the Mekong River is a “Golden Waterway” for trade， tourism and friendly exchanges and that the people of the Mekong are closely connected by a shared future and common interests. Participants at the meeting also held discussions on the establishment of a law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism as part of an effort to tackle serious security challenges and protect people and property along the river. The meeting concluded with a summary of outcomes and a Joint Statement on the Mekong River Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation. China， Laos， Myanmar and Thailand agreed to establish the Mekong River law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism in the areas of intelligence exchanges， joint patrols， rectification of public security problems， the combating of transnational crime and the handling of emergencies. All parties involved are now committed to safeguarding the Mekong River and ensuring that the waterway contributes to regional peace and development.

In order to implement the outcomes of the meeting， safeguard national security and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens in foreign countries， Chinese authorities established a water team within the Yunnan Border Police General Corps committed to safeguarding shipping routes and conducting joint patrols with their counterparts from Laos， Myanmar and Thailand.

At 10：30 a.m. on Dec. 10， 2011， the first joint patrol conducted by China， Laos， Myanmar and Thailand was officially launched at Guanlei Port in Yunnan Province. Escorting 10 cargo ships， the patrol boats set off for the Mekong River， thus marking the resumption of shipping along the “Golden Waterway”.

Starting from Guanlei Port and ending in the waters bordering Laos， Myanmar and Thailand， the first joint patrol covered a total of 256 kilometers. Patrol police officers carried out a series of operations aimed at cracking down on trafficking， illegal immigration and other transnational crimes， including conducting targeted inspections， random inspections and joint visits.

According to available statistics， since the establishment of the Mekong River law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism in 2011， China， Laos， Myanmar and Thailand have conducted 65 joint patrols and four joint anti-drug campaigns. Law enforcement personnel from the four countries investigated 39，000 drug-related criminal cases and seized 87.4 tons of drugs. In addition， joint patrols led to the rescue of 120 commercial ships from danger and retrieved nearly 150 million yuan （US$23.8 million） in lost sums.

The water team of the Yunnan Border Police General Corps alone has dispatched 561 boats and 10，760 law enforcement officers， with their patrols covering a total distance of 33，000 kilometers and 2，175 hours. Officers inspected 698 ships with a total of 3，555 passengers and more than 50，000 tons of goods on board， successfully rescued 462 passengers from danger and escorted over 900 merchant vessels. Yunnans Hanquantan Waterfront Guard Post， also known as the first Mekong checkpoint， inspected 283 commercial ships with 1，576 passengers and 24，000 tons of cargo.

China， Laos， Myanmar and Thailand continue to conduct monthly joint patrols. Through mechanisms on joint rescue， information sharing and the handling of emergencies and epidemic diseases， their operations have effectively maintained the stability and safety of the Mekong River. And through years of law enforcement cooperation， these four countries have cultivated and promoted the “Mekong Spirit” of solidarity， mutual help， inclusiveness， equality and mutual benefit.