SE Asian leaders step up fight against terrorism<\/p>\n
P. Parameswaran, Agence France Presse, Phnom Penh<\/p>\n
Southeast Asian leaders announced measures on Saturday to step-up
\ntheir fight against terrorism but also criticized Western
\ngovernment travel warnings issued against the region.<\/p>\n
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretary-
\ngeneral Rodolfo Severino told AFP that a joint statement on
\nterrorism would be released during the group's annual summit that
\nbegins here on Monday to express concern over the recent spate of
\ndeadly attacks in Indonesia and the Philippines.<\/p>\n
"They will stress their commitment to antiterrorism and say
\nthat ASEAN is doing practical things to combat terrorism,"
\nSeverino said.<\/p>\n
As part of its boosted efforts, Severino said ASEAN would sign
\na memorandum of understanding with China to cooperate on
\ntransnational crime, which would cover terrorism.<\/p>\n
Thailand's foreign affairs permanent secretary, Tej Bunnag,
\nalso told AFP that about five major ASEAN meetings would be held
\nover the next 12 months, some of which would also include China,
\nJapan and South Korea, to intensify regional cooperation against
\nterrorism.<\/p>\n
And Philippines foreign affairs department undersecretary
\nLauro Baja said an antiterrorism center would be set up in
\nMalaysia.<\/p>\n
However Severino said Southeast Asian leaders felt Western
\ngovernments, especially through their travel advisories, were
\nunfairly labeling the region as excessively dangerous.<\/p>\n
"I think there is an unconscious effort to identify Southeast
\nAsia with terrorism because of the large number of Muslims in
\nthis area," he said.<\/p>\n
"It is true there are terrorist cells -- whether they are
\ninternational or homegrown -- in Southeast Asia," Severino said.<\/p>\n
"But we also know that there are such terrorist cells in
\nBritain and Germany but nobody is calling, or issuing, advisories
\nabout travel in Germany and Britain."<\/p>\n
Thailand's Tej also hit out at the Western travel advisories
\nwhile Baja said the issue would be raised in the joint
\ndeclaration on terrorism.<\/p>\n
"We think these travel advisories are indiscriminate, they
\nhave no established evidence and I think all ASEAN countries are
\naffected in the same way," Tej said.<\/p>\n
The ASEAN officials' comments came as U.S. authorities warned
\nthat they feared a repeat of last month's bomb blasts on
\nIndonesia's holiday island of Bali that left at least 190 people
\ndead, many of them Australians.<\/p>\n
"In the aftermath of the terrorist bombings in Bali, the
\npossibility exists that similar attacks may occur in other
\nSoutheast Asian nations," the U.S. State Department said in a
\nstatement.<\/p>\n
"The Department is concerned that individuals and groups may
\nbe planning terrorist actions against United States citizens and
\ninterests, as well as sites frequented by Westerners."<\/p>\n
Aside from the Oct. 12 blast in Bali, which Western nations
\nand some Indonesian officials have linked to Osama bin Laden's
\nal-Qaeda terror network and its regional allies, 23 people were
\nkilled in the Philippines last month in bomb attacks blamed on
\nterrorists.<\/p>\n
Western governments issued travel warnings for most Southeast
\nAsian nations recently, including Indonesia, the Philippines,
\nSingapore and Thailand.<\/p>\n
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
\nMyanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. China,
\nSouth Korea, Japan, India and South Africa will also participate
\nin concurrent meetings at the ASEAN summit.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/se-asian-leaders-step-up-fight-against-terrorism-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}