Bilateral deal against terrorism planned

Bilateral deal against terrorism planned

Agence France-Presse, Manila

The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia will sign a trilateral accord against terrorism next month, Philippine Vice President Teofisto Guingona said on Tuesday.

"I learned that there was a memorandum given to me and to the president, recommending (we) sign the trilateral agreement. The president approved the recommendation," said Guingona, who is also foreign secretary.

The new agreement will require the three countries to improve cooperation in suppressing terrorists through exchange of intelligence information, and devising procedures to speed up communication between their respective law-enforcement agencies.

The three neighbors began working out the agreement after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States. The closer cooperation on counter-terrorism was highlighted by growing concerns that Southeast Asia could become another terrorist haven.

Some governments have linked Muslim militant groups in the region to the al-Qaeda terror network of Osama bin Laden, suspected mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The trilateral "Agreement on Information Exchange and Establishment of Communication Procedures" was completed last month, but Guingona had delayed its approval by asking for changes.

He had wanted provisions that would exclude from the terrorists' list Philippine Muslim separatists and communist rebels that Manila has tried to negotiate with.

However, diplomatic sources said the Malaysians and Indonesians rejected his changes and Arroyo apparently overruled Guingona by agreeing to sign the agreement.

The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia share a common sea border frequently used by pirates and terrorists in evading pursuing troops. Last year, the Abu Sayyaf Muslim gunmen from the southern Philippines raided two Malaysian resorts and seized 21, mostly foreign tourists.

Security officials here said the group could have also smuggled firearms to Muslim separatists in Indonesia.

The Abu Sayyaf, which the U.S. and Philippine governments have linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, currently hold an American couple and a Filipina nurse from a kidnapping spree that began in May.

The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia are members of ASEAN along with Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.