Three SE Asian countries sign anti-terrorism pact<\/p>\n
Jalil Hamid, Reuters, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Three countries with the largest Muslim populations in Southeast
\nAsia signed a pact on Tuesday to counter terrorism and crush a
\nmilitant network they say is bent on turning all three into a
\nsingle Islamic state.<\/p>\n
\"It is an important step we have taken together as part of our
\ncommitment to combat terrorism,\" Indonesian Foreign Minister
\nHassan Wirajuda told journalists after signing the accord with
\nhis counterparts from Malaysia and the Philippines.<\/p>\n
Militancy among Muslims in Southeast Asia came under the
\nmicroscope after Washington led a global war on terrorism in the
\naftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation, while
\nMalaysia is also largely Islamic. Roman Catholic Philippines has
\nbeen for years battling separatist struggles by small groups of
\nMuslim rebels in the country's south.<\/p>\n
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and visiting
\nPhilippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo witnessed the
\nsigning of the trilateral accord by foreign ministers from the
\nthree countries at the new administrative capital of Putrajaya.<\/p>\n
\"We formalized formal contacts in one umbrella agreement to
\ncover quite a number of areas of cooperation not only in the area
\nof terrorism proper, but also expanding it into piracy as well as
\nmoney laundering,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The busy international shipping lanes off the three countries
\nare plagued by pirates and are among the world's most dangerous.<\/p>\n
A joint statement said the pact would allow anti-terrorism
\nexercises as well as combined operations to hunt suspected
\nterrorists, the setting up of hotlines and sharing of airline
\npassenger lists.<\/p>\n
\"I think this is good because we can exchange the information
\nabout the movement and the activities of these people,\" Mahathir
\ntold reporters earlier.<\/p>\n
\"As you know, these people have this idea of creating what
\nthey called a single Islamic state out of Malaysia, Indonesia and
\nthe Philippines,\" he said after opening a meeting of the
\nOrganization of the Islamic Conference's religious ministers.<\/p>\n
\"But what is their Islamic state I don't know, because I
\nhaven't seen them do anything except do a lot of damage to
\npeople, carry out a lot of terrorist attacks,\" Mahathir said.<\/p>\n
In the past year Malaysia has arrested dozens of suspects,
\nwhile U.S. troops are helping Filipinos combat Abu Sayyaf
\nguerrillas and rescue an American missionary couple held for
\nalmost a year.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has drawn criticism over a lack of arrests although
\nneighbors, notably Singapore, say the ringleaders of a network
\nare based there. Jakarta is now planning to beef up anti-
\nterrorism laws.<\/p>\n
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
\nagreed last November to cooperate to fight terrorism.<\/p>\n
But Tuesday's trilateral pact, which follows four months of
\ntalks, cements cooperation between three member countries with
\nstrong ethnic links, large Muslim populations and porous borders.<\/p>\n
\"This agreement is signed by three countries and it is also
\nopen for other ASEAN members to join in,\" Wirajuda said.<\/p>\n
The mostly Chinese island state of Singapore, wedged between
\nMalaysia and Indonesia says it is willing to step up cooperation
\nwith its neighbors.<\/p>\n
Thailand, and possibly Myanmar, may join the pact later,
\nofficials said.<\/p>\n
Singapore arrested members of a militant cell in December that
\nit said was planning attacks on U.S. targets on the island. It
\ndiscovered links with al-Qaeda, the network run by Osama bin
\nLaden, Washington's prime suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks.<\/p>\n
In April, Manila seized two Muslim guerrillas they said had
\nbeen trained in bomb-making in Malaysia.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/three-se-asian-countries-sign-anti-terrorism-pact-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}