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.