Ministers discuss terrorism, piracy

Ministers discuss terrorism, piracy

SINGAPORE (Agencies): High-level defense officials from five countries meeting in Singapore on Tuesday discussed the rising threats of terrorism and sea piracy in Asia.

Ministers from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore, and a senior defense official from Britain attended the talks. The five countries make up the so-called Five Power Defense Arrangements (FPDA).

Cross-border crimes, including terrorism and piracy, are becoming an "increasing concern" and will require more international cooperation, Singapore Defense Minister Tony Tan said at a news conference following the meeting.

"Terrorists, for example, today do not operate in one country. Their crimes can cross borders, and this will make it much more difficult to counter this type of threat," Tan said.

The rising danger of pirate attacks also "will require cooperation of all countries in the region, and also outside the region," Tan said.

The terrorism threat in Asia was highlighted after Muslim extremists seized 21 hostages, many of them tourists, from a resort island near Malaysia on April 23. The hostages were moved to the Philippines, where all but one are still being held.

Southeast Asia also had more than half of the world's reported pirate attacks last year. Maritime experts say organized pirate rings take advantage of the lack of coordination between countries in Asia, moving freely between the high seas and territorial waters.

While the ministers agreed on the need for greater cooperation in fighting cross-border crimes, Malaysian Defense Minister Najib Tun Razak said economic progress would be more effective against terrorism than military strength.

"I don't think we can combat terrorists with just a military solution," Najib said.

"If you don't give hope for the future of the people in a certain area, then the credible leaders and the moderate leaders will be discredited and extreme ones will appear," Najib told reporters after the news conference.

"Look at the Middle East, for example," he said. "You need a comprehensive Middle East solution, because otherwise terrorism there will never see the end of the day."

The ministers agreed that their nations would need to continue to intensify already strong levels of cooperation so that the FPDA stayed relevant and capable of countering these transnational threats.

The ministers hailed the recent historic meeting between leaders of North and South Korea.

"The FPDA ministers were encouraged by the summit meeting between the two leaders of North and South Korea," said Tan.

"We recognize there are many difficult problems that lie ahead," and the region will benefit immensely if solutions are found, Tan added.

"Future FPDA exercises will now become more joint and combined in nature," he said.

The changing nature of modern day warfare dictated that cooperation was vital to security, the ministers said.

"Quite clearly, cooperation and interoperability are the hallmarks of future operations," said Australian Minister for Defense John Moore.

FPDA was formed in 1971, in the post-British colonial era, to defend against external threats to Singapore and Malaysia.

In peacetime, the member countries hold joint training exercises and regular meetings between defense ministers.