Securing safety of Mekong

THE BRUTAL KILLING OF CHINESE SAILORS ON the Mekong River reminds us of the urgency of stepping up security measures in an area plagued by drug trafficking and cross-border crime.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that 12 Chinese sailors were killed and one remains missing after two cargo ships on the Mekong were attacked and hijacked by an unknown group of armed men on Oct 5.

According to Monday's Bangkok Post, Thai river police seized both boats after a gun battle with the hijackers and found cargo including 900,000 pills of methamphetamine, an illegal stimulant, this suggests that the Chinese sailors could be victims of an assault by drug traffickers looking to use the boats to transport the drug.