APEC told to secure transportation systems

APEC told to secure transportation systems

The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

Visiting U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta warned on
Tuesday that transportation networks remained the main targets of
terrorists and that countries had to work hard to protect them.

"Our transportation systems are a target of choice for
terrorists who wish to disrupt our commerce and cripple our
prosperity," Mineta was quoted as saying by The Associated Press
at the start of the fourth Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) transportation ministerial meeting.

Held at the Westin Resort here, the three-day meeting started
on Tuesday and will run until Thursday.

During the meeting, talks are expected to focus on bolstering
maritime and aviation security as well as boosting investment.

"We must use our leadership to see that APEC applies the same
determination to securing our transportation network as it has
done to successfully promoting trade and investment," added
Mineta.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who opened the meeting,
asserted that considerations should also be made to limit the
impact on economies, but without ignoring heightened security.

"The tightening of security measures at transportation means
has made traveling less uncomfortable. The island of Bali and our
people who make a living from tourism were the first witnesses of
the negative effects of the decline in transportation
activities," she said.

Tourism in the country was shattered following the devastating
bomb explosions on Oct. 12, 2002 in Bali, which killed 202 people
and injured hundreds of others.

As a result, travel warnings have been issued by Western
governments for their citizens who wish to travel to Indonesia --
acts that have drawn complaints by the government and business
players for scaring off visitors.

Some exporters have also complained at rising costs resulting
from heightened security measures in the transportation sector.

Meanwhile, Malaysia and Singapore vowed to continue with
efforts to thwart the threat of piracy and terrorism in the
Malacca Strait following the recent launch of coordinated patrols
of the two countries together with Indonesia.

The vital shipping lane between peninsular Malaysia and
Indonesia's Sumatra island has been plagued by rampant piracy.

It is also feared that terrorists could hijack any one of the
50,000 vessels that enter the strait every year and use it as a
floating bomb to attack a port.