ASEAN mulls common strategy to fight terrorism

ASEAN mulls common strategy to fight terrorism

P. Parameswaran, Agence France-Presse, Manila

Southeast Asian leaders are expected to adopt a common strategy
to combat terrorism amid concern over the potential threat posed
by growing religious militancy, officials say.

The joint action is part of an anti-terrorism declaration
prepared for adoption by the 10 leaders of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) set to meet in Brunei this week
for the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks on the United
States.

According to a draft declaration obtained by AFP, the leaders
would call for the creation of an "ASEAN troika" to strengthen
regional cooperation in combating terrorism "in all its forms."

Prospective members of the troika were not named but they are
believed to be the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The leaders of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are
also considering having standard procedures to tackle the
scourge.

The panel is expected to "review existing international
instruments on terrorism with the view of harmonizing or
integrating them with existing ASEAN mechanism."

Vic Lecaros, Philippine foreign ministry spokesman, said
terrorism was a "longtime concern" of at least four of the
largest Southeast Asian nations -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines and Thailand.

"ASEAN leaders can reasonably be expected to keep this subject
of terrorism high in their consciousness," Lecaros told AFP.

The Philippines has been entrusted with the task of drafting
the "2001 ASEAN Declaration on Terrorism" for possible adoption
at the grouping's seventh summit meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan
from Nov. 5 through 6.

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, describing the declaration
as "important," said governments were now "looking at the draft
to vet it and revise it as needed."

If the blueprint is adopted by the 10 leaders, it will be "the
first step" towards the conclusion of an ASEAN agreement on
combating international terrorism, according to a concept paper
circulated with the draft declaration.

The ASEAN leaders are also expected to jointly condemn the
deadly terrorist attacks in the United States last month, which
Washington claims were masterminded by Saudi-born dissident Osama
bin Laden.

But they are split on the U.S.-led retaliatory strikes against
bin Laden and his Taliban hosts in Afghanistan.

The region's Muslim nations Indonesia and Malaysia have
deplored the U.S.-led attacks, which have exacted heavy
casualties among civilians.

But Singapore and the Philippines gave full support to the
strikes on Afghanistan.

Muslim Brunei's Foreign Minister Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, the
current chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee, in a recent
letter to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, acknowledged the
need for closer cooperation in combating terrorist acts
worldwide, sources said.

A foreign diplomat based in Southeast Asia said debate on
terrorism at the Brunei meeting would be closely followed by
international groups as it was being held in a region where more
than half the 500 million population were Muslims.

Indonesia, ASEAN's biggest member, is the world's most
populous Muslim nation. Malaysia is a largely Muslim country,
while the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand have significant
Muslim populations.

Since the attacks on Afghanistan started on Oct. 7, there have
been near-daily protests in Indonesia as well as demonstrations
in Malaysia and the Philippines.

Southeast Asia's Muslim faithful are generally moderate but
there are small pockets of militants increasingly expanding ties
with international terrorist groups, scholars say.

The Philippines is currently facing a Muslim separatist
rebellion in the southern island of Mindanao and is battling the
small but well-armed kidnap group Abu Sayyaf, alleged to have
links to bin Laden.

Malaysia has seen a rise in Islamic fundamentalism while
Indonesia has several separatist guerrilla movements, though not
all are Islamic.

Some governments are worried religious extremists may forge
links within the region and pose a more serious threat, officials
said.

"Countering terrorism is an international endeavour. The
problems are deep-rooted, and there are neither easy answers or
final solutions," Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien
Loong said.