THE 6TH ASEAN POLICE FORENSIC SCIENCE NETWORK MEETING

The 6th ASEAN Police Forensic Science Network (APFSN) Meeting took place in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR from May 28th to 29th, 2024. This meeting is one of the four sideline events hosted by the Lao Police Force (LPF) as the Chairman of ASEANAPOL, following their successful hosting of the 41st ASEA NAPOL Conference.

The meeting was officially opened by Police Brigadier General Latsamee Xayyakham, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Police, Ministry of Public Security. Its significance lies in encouraging cooperation in the field of Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) among ASEANAPOL Member Countries (AMCs) during disasters. The meeting aimed to discuss progressive plans and the implementation of the Terms of Reference (TOR) and Guidelines for DVI/CSI within APFSN.

Chaired by Police Colonel Vanhpheng Phommyxay, Deputy Director of INTERPOL Department at LPF, the meeting appointed Dr. Chit Pan, Director of the Forensic DNA Department at MPF, as Vice Chairman for the 6th APFSN Meeting.

Representatives from the ASEANAPOL Secretariat (AS) attended, including Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr. Bakri Zainal Abidin (Director for Police Services) and Assistant Superintendent of Police Nithia Perumal (Police Services Officer II), under the supervision of Executive Director David Martinez Vinluan. Delegates from AMCs, including the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), Cambodian National Police (CNP), Indonesian National Police (INP), LPF, Myanmar Police Force (MPF), Philippine National Police (PNP), Singapore Police Force (SPF), Royal Thai Police (RTP), and The Office of Investigation Police Agency (OIPA) Viet Nam, were also present.

The meeting featured presentations from AS on the way forward regarding TOR and Guidelines for DVI/CSI, as well as presentations from respective delegates on DVI/CSI mechanisms, challenges, capabilities, and best practices. Additionally, a representative from Thermo Fisher Scientific presented RAPID DNA technology for identifying victims. Fruitful discussions among all delegates concluded the meeting on May 29th, 2024, emphasizing active participation and meaningful outcomes.

#ASEANAPOL #APFSN

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