In the opening speech of the first Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation in Hua Hin, Thailand’s Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Suwit Khunkitti emphasized the importance of international law enforcement networks such as the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) in efforts to save the wild tigers in Asia. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will invest a part of its budget to fund the network to continue its successful mission to increase capacity and cooperation for international law enforcement to combat poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia. The Network was also highlighted as a primary facilitator of cross-border collaboration between all stakeholders working in Tiger Range Countries and across the globe to fight illegal trade threatening the survival of wild tigers.

Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (on screen) during his video message to the ministers and delegates of Asia's Tiger Range Countries during the first Asia Ministerial Meeting (AMC) in Hua Hin, Thailand from January 27-30, 2010.
(Photo credit: Department of National Parks (DNP), Thailand)

Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, in his video speech to the Ministerial Conference, called for the strengthening of ASEAN-WEN and long-term investment in regional and global efforts to conserve wild tigers.
At a side-session on international law enforcement, Dr. Chumphon Sukkaseam, Senior Officer of the ASEAN-WEN's Program Coordination Unit, appealed to other countries to also support the Network's sustainability and enhance its capacity as a major law enforcement body in the ASEAN region to intensify the fight against wildlife trafficking, especially of highly endangered tiger subspecies in the ASEAN region.