ASEAN people give cool reception to war against terrorism

Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Sanur, Bali

A few weeks ahead of the commemoration of the Sept. 11 tragedy, the United States has not gained wholehearted support of the Southeast Asian people for its global war against terrorism.

Participants of the ongoing ASEAN People's Assembly have expressed concerns that the U.S-led crackdown on terrorism has continued to be used by the country to garner support for its unilateral actions and by other governments to oppress their own citizens.

Sukhumbhand Paribatra, a Thailand member of Parliament, said after Sept. 11 it has been easier for powerful regimes to exploit the issue of terrorism for their own interests. Israel, for instance, uses the issue to destroy the Palestinian people, and Russia can now more easily justify its policy against Chechnya.

China and Indonesia are no exception, he said.

"Indonesia uses the terrorism issue to exert pressure on the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)," he said, referring to the separatist rebel group who have been struggling for independence since 1976.

Paribatra was speaking in the first panel discussion at the second ASEAN People's Assembly here on Friday night.

He said ASEAN members, including the Philippine and Indonesian governments, had begun to cooperate more closely with the U.S. on a bilateral level a few months after the attacks which were blamed on the extremist group al-Qaeda led by Saudi Arabian-born businessman Osama bin Laden.

"We should not tie ourselves to a U.S. policy that may be dangerous to the region," Paribatra said.

Criticism has been raised against the U.S. military exercises in the Philippines, which included the direct involvement in fighting Muslim rebels under Abu Sayyaf.

Paribatra suggested that ASEAN countries eventually extend their collaboration among member governments in combating terrorism, which includes a more systematic region-wide data and intelligence sharing; provision of money and military hardware; and preparations for joint law enforcement or and when necessary, joint military operations.

But even this enhanced cooperation will not be sufficient, as "the region's structural vulnerabilities" remain unsettled, Paribatra said.

Describing the vulnerability, he cited Southeast Asia's great diversity of races and ethnic groups. The region is also a point of convergence for three of history's greatest civilizations and belief systems.

But Southeast Asia is also home to a number of alleged terrorist groups. A number of them are reportedly involved in separatist struggles, which complicates the problem.

"Terrorism has always been linked to Islam and here in the region, Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim country. The Sept. 11 tragedy has made Islam a center of attention and suspicion," he said.

Since the mid l960s, Indonesia has been a strong pillar of regional cooperation.

"Islam has been an integral part of the region's peace and progress. Therefore the threat of radical Islam should not be exaggerated, and it must be stressed that the region's Muslims are peaceful and wish to live in peace among themselves and with others," Paribatra said.