Asian economies plan to boost anti-terror measures: Official
Asian economies plan to boost anti-terror measures: Official
Yeoh En-Lai, Associated Press/Singapore
Asia-Pacific countries plan to beef up maritime security to
protect commerce as terrorists search out "all possible venues"
for attack, a counter-terrorism official said on Saturday.
"How can we increase trade and investment if there is no
feeling of security?" said Makarim Wibisono, the head of the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) anti-terror working group.
Makarim, who is an Indonesian diplomat, said his group was
considering new measures to help protect APEC's 21 members from a
terror attack. He declined to elaborate but said maritime
security and cyber threats were discussed at a two-day APEC anti-
terror meeting in Singapore that ended on Saturday.
The meeting comes a few days after the group's transport
ministers held discussions in Bali, Indonesia on strengthening
aviation and maritime security measures.
Makarim warned that investors might shun APEC countries that
haven't yet complied with the UN International Maritime
Organization's security procedures.
"No capital will move to a place that is considered unsafe,"
he said on the sidelines of the conference. "Terrorists are
looking for all possible venues, not only the Straits of Malacca,
but in the cities, on the bridges. There is not only one possible
target."
The pirate-infested Straits of Malacca, a narrow 900-kilometer
waterway straddling Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, carries
half the world's oil and a third of its commerce. Washington has
warned terrorists could seize any of the 50,000 vessels that
enter the straits yearly and use it as a floating bomb to blow up
key ports and cities.
APEC leaders meet in Santiago, Chile later this year.
Formed in 1989, the grouping consists of Australia, Brunei,
Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia,
Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines,
Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the United
States and Vietnam.