SE Asian leaders vow fearless actions<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Los Cabos, Mexico<\/p>\n
Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Philippines
\nPresident Gloria Arroyo on Saturday vowed a no-tolerance policy
\nagainst the terrorism which has cut deep into their economically
\nvital tourism industries.<\/p>\n
Megawati warned in a speech to business leaders assembled for
\nthe APEC meeting, that determined, fearless actions against
\nterrorism was the only option.<\/p>\n
"If panic and fears continue to rise, it would in turn
\nencourage the terrorists to win their objectives and expand their
\nactivities," she said.<\/p>\n
"Clearly, we must fight terrorism that might take place
\nwherever, whenever and by whoever," she said.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian leader has previously been criticized for not
\ndoing enough to curb religious fundamentalism inside her country,
\nwhich has the largest Muslim population of any nation in the
\nworld.<\/p>\n
In her speech to the businesspeople, Megawati warned that
\nterrorism had severe economic consequences, as it had led many
\ngovernments to warn their citizens from traveling to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
"Consequently, our tourism industry, as one of the important
\npillars of economic restoration has received a heavy blow,"
\nMegawati said. "(I hope) that such travel bans ... will soon be
\nlifted."<\/p>\n
Several countries have also issued warnings against traveling
\nto Thailand, another tourism-dependent APEC member.<\/p>\n
Australia on Friday warned its citizens again to "exercise
\nextreme caution" in commercial and public areas frequented by
\nforeigners in Thailand, but specifically mentioned the popular
\nsouthern resort of Phuket for the first time.<\/p>\n
Japan had also issued a statement warning Japanese tourists to
\nbe vigilant in Thailand.<\/p>\n
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Saturday there was
\nno clear threat of a terrorist attack in Thailand, but his
\ngovernment was taking highest level precautionary measures.<\/p>\n
"As of now there has not been any clear intelligence that
\nterrorists plan to attack our country. Foreign countries have
\ndone their duty by issuing travel warnings, and we will do our
\nduty too by not being reckless," Thaksin said.<\/p>\n
"My government is taking the highest precautionary measures.
\nDon't panic because of the warnings," he said.<\/p>\n
New Zealand has bucked the trend and said it was "not aware of
\nany specific threat to New Zealanders or New Zealand interests in
\nThailand, and is therefore not advising New Zealanders against
\ntraveling there".<\/p>\n
Speaking on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Asia
\nPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Mexican resort
\nof Los Cabos, Arroyo urged greater cooperation among nations to
\nfight the threat posed by terrorism.<\/p>\n
"Terrorism is a global fight, because it is borderless," she
\ntold reporters. "And so, we should not sit back and wait them for
\na strike."<\/p>\n
APEC is meant to primarily deal with economic and trade
\nmatters, but like last year's summit in Shanghai -- happening
\njust weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks -- terrorism has also
\ntopped the agenda this year.<\/p>\n
Terrorism has recently emerged as a growing threat in Asia.
\nOnly two weeks ago, a carbomb blast on the Indonesian resort
\nisland of Bali killed more than 180 people, mostly Australian
\ntourists.<\/p>\n
Arroyo, an academic who has nurtured a tough-girl image in the
\nfight not just against terrorism but also crime, warned that the
\nwar on terror would be comprehensive and lengthy.<\/p>\n
"We have to strengthen our coalition against terrorism, we
\nhave to share intelligence, we have to work on aviation security
\nand energy security -- all kinds of ways," she told reporters.
\n"It's going to be a long war."<\/p>\n
In another development, Australian Prime Minister John Howard
\nand Arroyo have agreed to boost intelligence cooperation to
\ncombat terrorism following a spate of attacks in the Asian
\nregion, a Filipino official said Sunday.<\/p>\n
A suggestion by Howard to increase the "security arrangement"
\nbetween the two countries was "well received" by Arroyo during a
\none-on-one meeting on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic
\nCooperation (APEC) forum in Los Cabos, Mexico, Arroyo's spokesman
\nIgnacio Bunye said.<\/p>\n
"They discussed security arrangement and Prime Minister Howard
\nsuggested that Australia and the Philippines (work together in)
\nsharing of intelligence information and that was well received,"
\nby Arroyo, Bunye said on local television.<\/p>",
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