ASEAN, EU are to discuss fighting 'terrorism at sea'
ASEAN, EU are to discuss fighting 'terrorism at sea'
Agence France-Presse, Manila
More than 100 maritime security experts and diplomats from the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and European Union
met here to discuss curbing "terrorism at sea" or piracy, the
foreign office said Monday.
According to statistics released during Sunday's conference,
there were 471 cases of piracy and armed robbery against ships in
2000.
Nearly half occurred in the busy sea lanes of Southeast Asia,
the Malacca Strait and Indian Ocean. Pirates also became more
deadly with 72 crewmembers killed, 129 wounded and five others
missing.
"The security environment that has emerged from the rubble of
the September 11th incident introduces new perspectives,"
Philippine Foreign Minister Teofisto Guingona said of the Sept.
11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
"(This) necessitates fresh approaches ... to the problems
posed by international maritime terrorism, which includes
piracy," he added in a speech.
Guingona noted that piracy evolved in the Philippines at the
turn of the last century, when Filipino Muslim seafarers fought
to ward off western colonizers.
The "modern-day version" however carries "political undertones
although employing traditional ways, including kidnapping for
ransom," he said.
"It is sometimes linked to the secessionist aspirations of
some elements in society, or simply Muslim militancy," Guingona
said.
He was apparently referring to the Abu Sayyaf kidnap gang in
the southern Philippines that abducted dozens of foreign hostages
in two cross border raids on Malaysian resorts in 2000.
The Abu Sayyaf is a small group of self-styled Islamic
fighters linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. It is the
target of massive joint U.S.-Philippine exercises in the south of
the country.
Guingona urged stronger international cooperation against
piracy beyond intelligence exchange and border patrols.
He said countries concerned should create legislation that
would punish pirates as well as strike a regional agreement
defining piracy and armed robbery.