Editors --- "Liaison offices open in Hanoi and Beijing" [1999] AUFPPlatypus 9; (1999) 63 Platypus: Journal of the Australian Federal Police, Article 1

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Liaison offices open in Hanoi and Beijing

The AFP expanded its international liaison network recently, opening posts in Hanoi and Beijing.

The Minister for Justice and Customs Amanda Vanstone opened the liaison post in Hanoi at a function at the Australian Embassy in April which was attended by high-ranking Vietnamese officials from the Ministry of Public Security, The Justice Ministry, Customs, the Foreign Ministry and the United Nations Drug Control Program.

The official opening was part of the Minister's visit to key countries in Asia aimed at further reinforcing law-enforcement cooperation in the region and establishing contacts.

AFP Commissioner Mick Palmer accompanied Senator Vanstone for part of the visit, spending nine-days on the leg which started in Bangkok and went on to Vietnam, mainland China and Hong Kong China.

Senior Liaison officer Federal Agent Kevin McTavish and his team provided support for the visit in Bangkok. High level meetings were held with both police and customs officials including those with the Deputy Prime Minister, General Sanan, who is responsible for police matters; the Commissioner-General of the Thai Police, General Pracha; and a group of senior Thai police generals. Meetings were also held with Deputy Prime Minister, Suwit Khunkitti, and the Minister for University Affairs, Prachuab Chaiyasan.

Senator Vanstone reaffirmed the importance to Australia of police cooperation with Thailand, and the Thai officials responded warmly about the excellent relationship with the AFP.

Senator Vanstone and Commissioner Palmer made a short but highly productive visit to open the liaison post in Hanoi which is headed by Federal Agent Laurie Gray.

The opening received significant media attention and was broadcast on Vietnamese television, radio and in the Australian and international press.

Law enforcement cooperation between Australia and Vietnam began in 1991 and was subsequently enhanced by regular visits from Bangkok-based AFP liaison officers. The AFP was the first western law enforcement organisation in contemporary times to establish a cooperative relationship with its counterparts in Vietnam. Federal Agent Gray began his posting in August 1998, working from the AFP's Bangkok office.

During the Hanoi visit, a range of other meetings were held including detailed discussions with Justice Minister Nguyen Dinh Loc; Deputy Public Security Minister, Le The Tiem; General Director of Customs, Phan Van Dinh; and General Director of Vietnam's People's Police, Senior Colonel Truong Huu Quoc.

Commissioner Palmer said that the relationship between Australian and Vietnamese law enforcement and Customs was a strong one and that Federal Agent Gray was highly regarded and respected by Vietnamese law enforcement authorities.

The Minister and Commissioner also met with senior representatives of Vietnam Police, the General Department of Customs, the Border Army and the Public Security Ministry where ways of improving law enforcement cooperation were discussed.Among the talks was the enhancement of cooperation in the forensic science area following the establishment in Hanoi by a Melbourne-based company of a laboratory which includes a national DNA database capacity.

The new facility provided the opportunity to really start developing international-standard forensic analysis capabilities which previously, we would have only dreamed about, Commissioner Palmer told the Vietnam News.

Drug trafficking and other issues relating to global cooperation in the fight against organised crime were discussed as well as law enforcement training for legal and police officials. It was noted that a Vietnamese police officer had attended a Management of Serious Crime course at the AFP's Barton Training College recently.

The Minister and Commissioner continued on to Beijing and during the next three days a wide range of meetings were held with representatives of the Chinese Ministries of Public Security and Justice and Customs, including State Councillor Luo Gan who oversees Security, Legal and Police matters; the Minister for Justice, Gao Changli; and the Deputy Commissioner of the General Administration of Customs, Liu Jing.

Beijing Liaison Officer Federal Agent Brian Iselin arrived at his new post the day before the Minister and Commissioner visited. Further discussions held between the group and officials demonstrated the high level of cooperation between Australian and Chinese law enforcement agencies and the positive relationships which have been developed by Federal Agent Peter Drennan and other previous AFP liaison officers with members of the Hong Kong—China Liaison Office.

Commissioner Palmer said that the level of cooperation and information sharing from the Chinese region has been of significant importance to the success of recent drug trafficking investigations and that potential for further developing this cooperation was strong.

The officials then travelled to Guangzhou to attend meetings with the Vice-Governor of Guandong Province, Ou Guangyuan; the Executive Deputy Director-General of the Guandong Public Security Bureau, Zhang Shengqin; and other senior law enforcement and foreign affairs representatives. Following these talks they drove overland through Shenzhen, an area of China highly relevant to the AFP's anti-drug strategies, and a journey which gave the Minister a first-hand appreciation of the nature of the economic growth and infrastructure in the area. Heroin trafficking has become more prolific with improvements in transport and communications systems.

A series of meetings were then held in Hong Kong China with Hong Kong Police Commissioner Eddie Hui Ki-On; Acting Commissioner of the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption Tony Kwok; Acting Secretary for Security Raymond Wong; Commissioner for Hong Kong Customs and Excise John Tsang; Commissioner for Narcotics Clarrie Lo; and Acting Secretary for Justice Ian Wingfield. The meetings reinforced the cooperative relationship between Australia and Hong Kong in various areas of law enforcement.

Commissioner Palmer said the appointment of a Hong Kong Police Liaison Officer in Sydney recently is a further example of the strengthening of cooperative arrangements between the two countries.

"The Minister's visit was clearly very important to the demonstration of Australia's commitment to law enforcement cooperation in the south-east Asian region and, additionally, it offered an opportunity for the Minister and party to gain a real appreciation of the actual value of our liaison officer network and the importance and potential to Australia's law enforcement interests of the further development of both the network and the law enforcement cooperation program," the Commissioner said.

"The extension of the AFP's overseas liaison officer network to 30 operatives across 16 countries is a concrete demonstration of the positive benefits flowing to the organisation from the process to reprofile and reposition the AFP to meet the emerging challenges of a transnational and electronic world.

"The LO network is a critical part of our infrastructure and the liaison officers and their support staff both in-country and here in Australia do a great job."