This is both a regional imperative and a global priority of American foreign policy. The United States is proud to join with Thailand in sponsoring this facility. And we are pleased, as well, to have been able to provide temporary development assistance and computer equipment to the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime. As the HPA reflects, a growing and highly invidious type of crime in Southeast Asia and worldwide is trafficking in human beings, especially women and children. This involves a broad range of projects, including forest management, forest fire and haze control, and coral reef protection.
Health is also a top priority for U.S. assistance in Southeast Asia.
There is no greater danger to the health and security of this region. Both CDC and our Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences have cooperated with counterparts in Thailand to battle infectious diseases. The results include vaccines against encephalitis and hepatitis A, and the use of AZT in third trimester pregnancies to cut HIV transmission to infants. Efforts are underway to link these and other programs into a coordinated Southeast Asia initiative. Under the Common Agenda, Japan and the United States are increasing joint efforts to fight infectious disease in Southeast Asia.