Regional forum adopts measures to choke off terrorist financing<\/p>\n
Chris Foley, Agence France-Presse, Bandar Seri Begawan<\/p>\n
The Asia-Pacific's foremost security umbrella group, the ASEAN
\nRegional Forum (ARF), on Wednesday outlined a blueprint designed
\nto choke off funding for terrorists.<\/p>\n
A raft of measures, including banking controls and a freeze on
\nassets, was approved by delegates at a working dinner on Tuesday,
\non the eve of the ARF annual meeting.<\/p>\n
The 23-member foreign minister-level grouping includes the
\nUnited States, Russia, China, Japan and the European Union, as
\nwell as the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
\nstates.<\/p>\n
\"In the interests of global peace and security, the
\nparticipants in the ARF are determined to stop the financing of
\nterrorism,\" the statement said.<\/p>\n
\"We have therefore today endorsed a statement of our intention
\nto work individually and in concert to prevent terrorists and
\ntheir associates from accessing or using our financial systems
\nand to stop abuse of informal banking networks.\"<\/p>\n
The ARF statement is one of several counter-terrorism
\ninitiatives being released during a week of ministerial meetings
\nin Brunei.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, ASEAN foreign ministers issued a declaration
\nannouncing a determination to \"enhance counter-terrorism
\ncooperation\", and on Thursday they will sign a cooperation pact
\nwith the United States.<\/p>\n
China has also announced plans for regular East Asia
\nministerial meetings to discuss terrorism and transnational
\ncrime.<\/p>\n
\"Terrorism has been very much the focus of the meeting.
\nThere's been quite a lot of work going on behind the scenes in
\nthe ARF in addressing the question,\" Australian Foreign Minister
\nAlexander Downer said.<\/p>\n
A spokesman for Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda
\nsaid there was an underlying feeling that more should be done in
\nthe fight against terror.<\/p>\n
\"All delegates were one in expressing condemnation of
\nterrorist acts,\" the spokesman, R.M. Marty, said.<\/p>\n
\"They were all satisfied in what we have done in the past
\nyears but they wish to do more.\"<\/p>\n
The ARF statement on Wednesday commits its 23 members to
\n\"freeze without delay the assets of terrorists and their
\nassociates and close their access to the international financial
\nsystem\".<\/p>\n
Each member of ARF \"should establish promptly\" a financial
\nintelligence unit to beef up information sharing.<\/p>\n
It will also require members to \"make public the lists of
\nterrorists whose assets are subject to freezing and the amount of
\nassets frozen\", and urges anti-money-laundering bodies to
\npromptly expand their mandates to include terrorist financing.<\/p>\n
\"We will ensure that our financial institutions and citizens
\ncomply with measures to combat the financing of terrorism and
\nother financial crimes, and will assist them to do so.\"<\/p>\n
To ensure the message gets through, the ARF says it is
\ncommitted to assisting countries \"that need help in implementing
\nnecessary laws, regulations and policies to combat terrorist
\nfinancing and money laundering\".<\/p>\n
Downer said the ARF was encouraging its members to adhere to
\nvarious UN conventions covering the financing of terrorism and
\ndeveloped nations would \"provide some technical assistance if
\nthere is a request\".<\/p>\n
European Union foreign policy envoy Javier Solana described
\nthe statement as a good step addressing money \"flowing to
\nterrorist organizations and the question of money-laundering in
\nrelation to terrorism\".<\/p>\n
ARF includes the 10 ASEAN states, along with Australia,
\nCanada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mongolia, New
\nZealand, South Korea, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Russia and
\nthe United States.<\/p>\n
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
\nMyanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.<\/p>",
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