A historic Extradition Treaty between Laos and Thailand is due to take effect at the end of this month after negotiations between officials from both nations. The treaty was officially signed on January 30 by Phongsavath Boupha, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs representing the Lao Government and Suvidhya Simaskul, Thai Ambassador to Laos.

It will mean that either government can, for the first time apply to the other government to have "persons found in the territory of one the Contracting Parties who are wanted for prosecution, trial or for the imposition or execution in the territory of the other Party" sent back across the border. The treaty is intended to help both countries to fight criminals and threats to security, such as the bandits at Vang Tao-Songmek International Border Checkpoint, who in the early morning of July 3 2000, attacked and robbed a border outpost. This incident was an act of terrorism intended to mislead tourists about the security situation in Laos.

The Lao authorities are still seeking co-operation from the Thai authorities in bringing these bandits to justice according to Lao law. Thailand is slow to co-operate. Such criminals might have been immediately extradited had a treaty existed between Laos and Thailand at that time. The Song Mek incident is an exception however. Previously, both countries co-operated in the arrest of cross-border criminals. The treaty signed recently will clear such matters up by creating a common set of rules for extraditing cross border criminals.

Source: Vientiane Mai Newspaper [Laos]