"A national workshop with representatives from Myanmar's Central Authority and related government departments was organised in Nay Pyi Taw last week to assist the country to more effectively address transnational crime and security challenges within the framework of the ASEAN Vision 2025. The aim of the workshop was to strengthen the capacity of Myanmar and its officials to engage in cross-border criminal justice cooperation, in particular mutual legal assistance (MLA) and extradition. Throughout Southeast Asia, transnational organised crime groups and their networks profit from illicit activities that range from drug and precursor trafficking, to human trafficking and migrant smuggling, to the trade of illegal timber and endangered species. Along with the launch of the ASEAN Political-Security Community, the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 has helped bring about freer flows of goods, services, labour and money. If recent evidence is correct, legitimate economic flows will continue to increase. While this is positive for the region as a whole, it also provides increased opportunities for transnational crime groups to engage in criminal activities. Illicit flows and movements mirror and travel alongside legal flows and movements, and as these illegal flows expand, criminal and terrorist networks will continue to benefit. This will only serve to further challenge governance, law enforcement and criminal justice systems of countries in the region. During the workshop, representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Police, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Union Attorney General's Office, the Ministry of Border Affairs (Na Ta La), the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population and the General Administrative Department worked through a series of exercises designed to increase their understanding and ability to utilise MLA and extradition. As a result, they were provided the opportunity to not only learn more about the legal traditions and systems regarding MLA and extradition in other countries, but also to strengthen relationships and understanding between the various Government departments within Myanmar that form part of its Central Authority and work on these issues..."