Quang Tri, 29–30 December 2025 – Wildlife Conservation Society, Viet Nam Program (WCS Viet Nam), in collaboration with the Center for Rural Research and Development (CRRD), Gardening Association of Quang Tri province, organized a training course on “Preventing risks from illegal migration and violations of wildlife protection laws in Malaysia and Thailand.”
The training brought together more than 40 representatives from local government agencies and social-political organizations of Bo Trach and Quang Ninh communes, Quang Tri province.
Participants in the training, Quang Tri, December 2025
In the opening remarks, representatives of WCS Viet Nam and CRRD highlighted the situation in which a number of Vietnamese citizens, including those from Quang Tri province, have become involved in illegal migration and harvesting, hunting, and transportation of wildlife in Malaysia and Thailand, as well as trafficking of wildlife products from these countries to Viet Nam. Such activities have led them, their families, and local communities to serious legal, financial and social risks.
During the training, participants were provided with an overview of the current situation of Vietnamese citizens violating immigration and wildlife protection in Malaysia and Thailand. They were also guided to identify common types of violations, applicable sanctions and relevant legal frameworks in Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam. Based on this information, participants discussed and proposed solutions to prevent local citizens from illegal migration and exploitation of wildlife in these countries, emphasizing the roles of local authorities, social-political organizations, and community actors.
Practice group exercises, Quang Tri, December 2025
To translate these solutions into practice, participants received hands-on training in community communication skills. Through group work and practical exercises, they developed action plans for implementing local communication and awareness raising activities aimed at improving legal knowledge within their communities. These action plans were then reviewed and refined with input from trainers and other participants to ensure feasibility and relevance to local conditions.
Practicing community communication skills, Quang Tri, December 2025
WCS Viet Nam and CRRD committed to providing continued post-training support to participants, so that they can effectively implement their action plans, contributing to the prevention of illegal migration and violations of wildlife protection laws.
The training was conducted within the framework of the project “Transboundary problem-solving to prevent the international trafficking of Malayan tigers” funded by the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund (IWTCF) under the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).