From 6 February to 5 April 2013, Ms. Shi Ronghong, Deputy Chief of the Division of Convention Affairs of the CITES Management Authority of China, undertook a Capacity Building Special Assignment as a seconded officer to the ASEAN-WEN Program Coordination Unit. China recently established the National Inter-Agency CITES Enforcement Group (NICEG is also known as China-WEN). The placement is part of the 1st Sino-ASEAN Technical Cooperation Meeting on CITES’ larger capacity building recommendations for its member institutions, which has included staff placements, staff exchanges and study visits across the 2 major regions. Similar postings of ASEAN officers in China is expected in the future.

During that technical cooperation roundtable, officers from the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network and the Government of the Peoples Republic of China produced a a summary of the technical consultation on cooperation, that provides suggestions to strengthen cooperation on wildlife enforcement and related CITES matters between ASEAN-WEN and China, which include matters on information sharing and public awareness, capacity building and trainings, enforcement cooperation and coordination facilitation, and other areas of cooperation.

March 7, 2013 (Bangkok, Thailand) - The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretary-General Certificates of Commendation were presented to representatives from the National Inter-Agency CITES Enforcement Collaboration Group (NICECG) of China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) and the Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF) for their role in Operation COBRA, a month long cross-continent joint operation to combat illegal wildlife trade. NICECG, ASEAN-WEN and LATF received the award during the first global meeting of wildlife enforcement networks (WENs) on the sidelines of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 16). Ten WENs or groups operating within Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America, as well as proposed networks for Central Asia, West Asia and the Oceania/Pacific region, met to discuss cooperation on poaching and illicit trade activities. They also exchanged best practices and techniques on combating wildlife and forest crime. Participants expressed support for developing a network of wildlife enforcement networks or groups and recognized the value of the meeting, hosted by the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC).

222 Rat Snakes confiscated at Tarpalan Bridge between the Northern and Southern Shan States
and Elephant Poacher Prosecuted in Kyauktagar Township

On 28 January 2013 - a team comprised of Forest Department officials and Myanmar National Police Force seized 222 Rat Snakes as an action to combat wildlife trafficking at Tarpalan bridge, located at the border between the Northern and Southern Shan States. In accordance with the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994), Myanmar National Police Force (Naung Cho Township) took action against the owner-carrier of the snakes. The defendant was charged according to Article No. 35(a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994). All the Rat Snakes were released into Shwe-U-Daung Wildlife Sanctuary.