ASEAN to issue antiterrorism declaration
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Phnom Penh
All ten leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputeri, gathered here for their annual summit, which is expected to issue a joint declaration on the fight against terrorism after increasing terrorist attacks rocked the region last month, claiming hundreds of innocent lives.
After being considered the weakest and slowest in the region in the global campaign against terrorism, Indonesia will support the initiatives of the counterterrorism center, which was set up in Kuala Lumpur earlier last month.
The director general for Asia, Pacific and Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Makarim Wibisono, said that the counterterrorism center was included in the action plan of the summit, which opens on Monday.
"The counterterrorism center in Kuala Lumpur will be among the eight points of suggestions from the Indonesian government," Makarim said on Sunday, citing the results of the previous senior official meeting ahead of the summit.
The center was established under the bilateral agreement between Malaysia and the United States after Kuala Lumpur was assured that there would be no intervention from U.S. officials in operating the center.
Aside from fulfilling the world's expectations for the regional grouping to take firmer action against suspected terrorists operating in Southeast Asia, ASEAN leaders, in return will demand the revocation of travel warnings issued by Western nations, which have ruined tourism in the region in the wake of the deadly Bali bombings last month.
"We ask the world to support ASEAN in our efforts to fight terrorism by lifting the travel warnings that have damaged the region's tourism," Makarim said.
Indonesia, despite joining the international chorus in condemning the regional and global acts of terror, raised its concern that some parties had tried to relate the terror activities to certain ethnic and religious groups.
Megawati was also slated to hold meetings with the Indonesian community here in Cambodia and have bilateral talks with Vietnam Prime Minister Phan Van Khai.
During the summit, ASEAN leaders will also discuss the possibility of holding a special summit with Australia next year, to be hosted by Indonesia, as it will be Jakarta's turn in 2003 to assume the association's rotating presidency.