A human trafficking database centre will be set up at the Ministry of Public Security aiming to gather information from all those working with local officials across the country, according to an announcement by authorities on Monday.

Director General of the Anti-Human Trafficking Department Lieutenant Colonel Ms Livong Laoly said that the database will be critical to the collection of information by the centre and in terms of coordinating with authorities in the provinces.

She explained that the database would help officials in the department ensure that communication with provincial departments across the country is more organised and effective.

The department has just received support in the form of IT equipment valued at 200 million kip from the government of Australia through the Australia-Asia Programme to Combat Trafficking in Persons (AAPTIP).

The provision of the IT equipment will assist in building the data collection system to gather information about human trafficking and promote better coordination between the department in Vientiane and the provincial departments in other provinces where many traffic victims originate.

Deputy Team Leader of the AAPTIP programme, Mr Willem Pretorius said this will help them to ensure better communication with the provinces.

“A few weeks ago we agreed at a meeting to help the department to develop the data collection system and set the guidelines on how to collect the data. We will start with the data collection system methods and continue to the guidelines.”

“Following that we will arrange training to collect data and train local officials about how to use the equipment,” he explained.

Mr Pretorius added after those training courses are complete, AAPTIP will hand over other equipment to the attendees who will return to work in their fields of responsibilities in their respective provinces, including in the area of anti-trafficking.

“We do hope to work with you well on combating human trafficking in Laos and the other countries in the Asean region,” he said.

Ms Livong also thanked the Australia government for its support to anti-trafficking efforts and promised to work hard with the involved sectors in particular the AAPTIP in Laos to combat trafficking.

Source: Vientiane Times
Published on July 09, 2015