ASEAN countries agree to unified plan of action to combat terrorism
ASEAN countries agree to unified plan of action to combat terrorism
M. Jegathesan, Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur
Senior officials from 10 Southeast Asian nations agreed on Friday closer cooperation was needed to counter terrorism in a draft statement to be adopted by security ministers next week.
"The theme of the work plan contained in the ASEAN ministers' joint communique -- special ASEAN ministerial meeting on terrorism -- is the need for closer cooperation," one senior official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The ASEAN officials agreed there was an urgent need to combat terrorism and transnational crime.
"We note with concern the close links between transnational crime and terrorism and that this lends greater urgency to our efforts to combat transnational crime" the draft joint communique obtained by AFP said.
The official said proceeds from organized crime syndicates often ended up funding terrorist activities. He did not elaborate.
After two days of intense and frank discussions, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) senior officials agreed on the draft which will be submitted to their respective ministers to discuss and adopt.
The home (interior) ministers of the ASEAN countries will gather in Kuala Lumpur from Monday for a two-day meeting.
Pointing out the significance of the agreement, the official said: "ASEAN now has a work plan. We know how to counter terrorism together. This has been a fruitful meeting.
"ASEAN is now equipped with a work program to combat terrorism," he said, adding it would be implemented within the next three months.
The work program agreed in the draft communique includes an exchange of information and development of multilateral or bilateral legal arrangements to facilitate apprehension.
ASEAN officials also agreed to enhance cooperation and coordination in law enforcement and intelligence sharing and to develop regional training programs.
Asked about the plan, Maj. Gen. Amarin Niemskul, deputy commissioner of special branch with the Royal Thai police, said ASEAN was committed in its fight against terrorism and transboundary crime.
But there was a need to concentrate on follow-up action against crimes such as against drugs "instead of meeting more," he said.
"The drug problem is a big problem. We need more action. We need a lot of hard work," he told reporters on the sidelines of the officials meeting.
But Amarin said tough laws and action to combat drugs would not ensure success if the economic problems of those who cultivate opium-producing poppy crops were not addressed.
"We need to help them first. We have to create other ways for them to earn an income then we can enforce the laws," he said.
Asked if fears that illegal money made through drugs was being used to finance terror groups were real, Amarin said: "It is common knowledge that all terror groups need funding.
"Most of the time, money comes from illegal activities related to drugs," he said, adding that Thailand had close cooperation with neighboring Myanmar in the war against drugs.
Myanmar's Col. Sit Aye, director of international relations department, told reporters that Yangon was optimistic that drug planting activities in the country would be eradicated with the introduction of the alternate cash crop planting in April and tough policing.
Sit Aye said there was no evidence that drug money was being used to finance terror groups. "This is just an imagination."
According to the latest State Department anti-narcotics report published earlier this year, Myanmar is the world's largest producer of illicit opium. It is also the primary source of amphetamine-type stimulants in Asia.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.