YANGON, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar government is cooperating with the international community in carrying out rescue and rehabilitation programs for trafficked victims to combat human trafficking.

    Under government to government system, a total of 686 victims smuggled out of Myanmar have been rescued and brought back to the country as of 2008 and they were being kept at the rehabilitation centers, according to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.

    International organizations that Myanmar cooperates in cracking down human trafficking include United Nations organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGO).

    In July, the country hosted the 9th meeting of senior officials of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations in the new capital city of Nay Pyi Taw on combating transnational crime.

    The meeting was attended by representatives of dialogue partner countries from China, Japan, South Korea Australia, Russia, the European Union as well as organizations including the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) and other international NGOs.

    Earlier in April, Myanmar and Thailand signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as part of the country's cooperation with its neighbors in the fight.

    The areas of cooperation under the MoU cover combating all aspects of human trafficking including prevention, protection, rehabilitation, reintegration, law enforcement, justice and developing and implementing joint action between the two countries.

    Neighboring countries with which Myanmar is cooperating include China, India and Bangladesh in addition to Thailand as well as the Russian Federation and Vietnam.

    Myanmar has so far set up border liaison offices in Muse with immediate neighbor of China and in Tachilek, Myawaddy and Kawthoung with Thailand to promote cooperation in cracking down on human trafficking at the basic level.

    Coordination is also being made for the move involving the UNODC and UN Inter Agency Project (UNIPA) on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

    In the latest development, Myanmar is also planning to set up temporary care center at the Muse for the victims with the help of GGA organization of Japan in November this year.

    After the promulgation of Myanmar's Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Law in 2005, the taking of punitive action against traffickers has stopped many cases of human trafficking, the authorities said, adding that measures are also being taken across the country to save those who fall prey to human traffickers and to enable the victims to integrate back with their society and to rehabilitate them.

    Myanmar is in the process of drafting a national-level five-year plan of eliminating human trade to step up combating the crime. The plan covers five sectors -- cooperation through the policy, prevention, taking action, protection of the victims and capacity building, according to the Central Committee for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons.

    Myanmar joined in March 2004 the United Nations Convention Against Translational Organized Crime and Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women.

    The country also signed a memorandum of understanding of six-member Greater Mekong Subregion against trafficking in persons in October 2004.