ASEAN agrees to boost cooperation on terrorism
ASEAN agrees to boost cooperation on terrorism
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police chiefs from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) pledged on Wednesday to boost cooperation in combating
terrorism including sharing resources after an attack and setting
up task forces.
They, however, shied away from endorsing a proposal by host
country Indonesia to extradite terrorist suspects or witnesses
for trial purposes in a member country.
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said that each ASEAN
country would establish a task force dedicated to increasing
regional coordination.
"This is stronger than any cooperation we have had so far,"
Da'i said, adding the network would become operational by June.
"In the event of a terrorist attack the affected country can
request assistance from other ASEAN countries," Da'i said at the
end of a three-day workshop of police from the Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Such assistance would include identifying, pursuing and
apprehending suspects, examining witnesses, searching and seizing
evidence, evacuating and treating victims along with providing
forensic expertise, Da'i said.
They also agreed to submit to the upcoming third annual Senior
Official Meeting on Transnational Crimes (SOMTC) in Hanoi in June
Indonesia's proposal to make terrorist acts extraditable
offenses.
Indonesia, reeling from the deadly Bali bombing on Oct. 12,
had sought for the extradition of terrorist suspects and
witnesses currently detained in Singapore and Malaysia.
Malaysian police chief Norian Mai was quoted as saying on
Tuesday that they had agreed with Indonesia to form a special
force to track down members of the al-Qaeda linked Jemaah
Islamiyah (JI) terror network blamed for the Bali bomb attack.
"The antiterrorist meeting held in Jakarta had decided to
forge greater cooperation in sharing information and form a
special force in tracking down terrorists, particularly JI
members who are still at large," he said.
The special force would comprise Malaysian and Indonesian
police personnel who would focus primarily on hunting down JI
members involved in the Bali bombing, he said.
Indonesian police have arrested 30 people over the bombing,
which killed nearly 200 people, most of them western tourists,
last October.
They are still searching for 10 suspects, including three
Malaysians.
Norian said the detention of some 80 suspected militants
belonging to JI and its local affiliate the Malaysian Militant
Group (KMM) over the past 18 months had contained the threat of
terrorism in Malaysia.
Police have a list of those involved in KMM and with the help
of neighboring countries, could eliminate their presence in
Malaysia, he said.
Police were also focusing on capturing JI members trying to
escape from Malaysian and other security forces in the region.
"I am confident continued action in tracking down members of
the JI group can reduce the threat not only from this militant
group but other international militant groups too," Norian said.
JI aims to create a pan-Islamic state encompassing Malaysia,
Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and southern Philippines.
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police chiefs from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) pledged on Wednesday to boost cooperation in combating
terrorism including sharing resources after an attack and setting
up task forces.
They, however, shied away from endorsing a proposal by host
country Indonesia to extradite terrorist suspects or witnesses
for trial purposes in a member country.
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said that each ASEAN
country would establish a task force dedicated to increasing
regional coordination.
"This is stronger than any cooperation we have had so far,"
Da'i said, adding the network would become operational by June.
"In the event of a terrorist attack the affected country can
request assistance from other ASEAN countries," Da'i said at the
end of a three-day workshop of police from the Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Such assistance would include identifying, pursuing and
apprehending suspects, examining witnesses, searching and seizing
evidence, evacuating and treating victims along with providing
forensic expertise, Da'i said.
They also agreed to submit to the upcoming third annual Senior
Official Meeting on Transnational Crimes (SOMTC) in Hanoi in June
Indonesia's proposal to make terrorist acts extraditable
offenses.
Indonesia, reeling from the deadly Bali bombing on Oct. 12,
had sought for the extradition of terrorist suspects and
witnesses currently detained in Singapore and Malaysia.
Malaysian police chief Norian Mai was quoted as saying on
Tuesday that they had agreed with Indonesia to form a special
force to track down members of the al-Qaeda linked Jemaah
Islamiyah (JI) terror network blamed for the Bali bomb attack.
"The antiterrorist meeting held in Jakarta had decided to
forge greater cooperation in sharing information and form a
special force in tracking down terrorists, particularly JI
members who are still at large," he said.
The special force would comprise Malaysian and Indonesian
police personnel who would focus primarily on hunting down JI
members involved in the Bali bombing, he said.
Indonesian police have arrested 30 people over the bombing,
which killed nearly 200 people, most of them western tourists,
last October.
They are still searching for 10 suspects, including three
Malaysians.
Norian said the detention of some 80 suspected militants
belonging to JI and its local affiliate the Malaysian Militant
Group (KMM) over the past 18 months had contained the threat of
terrorism in Malaysia.
Police have a list of those involved in KMM and with the help
of neighboring countries, could eliminate their presence in
Malaysia, he said.
Police were also focusing on capturing JI members trying to
escape from Malaysian and other security forces in the region.
"I am confident continued action in tracking down members of
the JI group can reduce the threat not only from this militant
group but other international militant groups too," Norian said.
JI aims to create a pan-Islamic state encompassing Malaysia,
Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and southern Philippines.