On April 29, 2025, the Executive Director of the ASEANAPOL Secretariat, Police Colonel David Martinez Vinluan (PNP), accompanied by Director for Police Services, Senior Superintendent Huntal Tambunan (INP), paid a courtesy call to the Chief of the Myanmar Police Force (MPF), who was ably represented by Police Major General Tin Ko Ko, Deputy Chief of Police. Also in attendance were Police Brigadier Kyaw Zaya, Head of the Division Against Transnational Crime, and Police Lieutenant Colonel Myo Thant Tin, the MPF’s designated ASEANAPOL Contact Person.
A courtesy call is a formal visit that underscores mutual respect, fosters goodwill, and strengthens institutional ties. It provides a strategic platform for reaffirming partnerships, exchanging perspectives, and aligning efforts to address common goals within the ASEAN law enforcement community.
During the meeting, Executive Director Vinluan delivered a comprehensive update on the ASEANAPOL Secretariat’s recent accomplishments and outlined key forthcoming initiatives. These include the ASEANAPOL Contact Persons Meeting scheduled for late May in Kuala Lumpur, the MPF-hosted ASEANAPOL Training Cooperation Meeting (ATCM) also in May, and the Joint ASEAN Senior Police Officers’ Course (JASPOC) to be held in July 2025. He reaffirmed the Secretariat’s full commitment to working closely with MPF in designing relevant, impactful, and well-coordinated programmes that deliver maximum value for all participants.
Executive Director Vinluan also highlighted the Secretariat’s rapid response following the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar and parts of Thailand on March 28, 2025. On the same day, he immediately reached out to all ASEANAPOL Member Countries to activate readiness in providing support—particularly the deployment of Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) teams—should MPF make a formal request for assistance. He emphasized that this action was a demonstration of ASEANAPOL’s “Good Neighbor” principle and its commitment to standing in solidarity with affected Member Countries in times of crisis.
He concluded by stating that he remains a humble servant of all ASEANAPOL Member Countries, always ready to coordinate and collaborate for the effective and efficient implementation of the organization’s mission and vision. He stressed that the true measure of policing lies in its ability to ensure the safety and security of the people, and the ASEANAPOL Secretariat stands fully committed to this shared mandate through proactive engagement and meaningful regional cooperation.
"Together We Keep This Region Safe"