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.