RI, RP discuss terror pact extension
RI, RP discuss terror pact extension
Agencies, Manila
Minister of Foreign Affiars Hassan Wirayuda and Philippine
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Friday discussed border
security concerns and the expansion of a trilateral agreement to
fight terrorism to include other Southeast Asian nations.
Hassan was in Manila with a 13-member delegation to attend a
two-day meeting of the Philippines-Indonesia Joint Commission on
Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC).
He told Arroyo that other members of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have "relayed their intention to
join what initially started as an agreement among the
Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia to fight terrorism", dpa
reported.
Aside from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, ASEAN also
groups Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and
Myanmar.
Singapore has repeatedly accused Indonesia of doing too little
to fight terrorism, and even though the city-state was once an
operation center of the Jamaah Islamiyah network, it has yet to
sign an anti-terror pact with its neighbors.
"Hassan also relayed to the president Indonesia's continuing
support for the Philippines in the fight against terrorism," a
government statement said.
During the meeting, both Hassan and Arroyo expressed concern
over arms smuggling across the borders and agreed to focus on
increasing security in the seas between the Philippines and
Indonesia to curb transnational crimes.
Officials said such maritime and border issues, as well as
tourism, were expected to top the agenda of the JCBC meeting to
be presided by Hassan and his Philippine counterpart, Foreign
Secretary Blas Ople.
Ople said he would urge his Indonesian counterpart to beef up
the prosecution of terror suspects in the Oct. 12 Bali bombings,
Reuters reported.
He said he would discuss with Hassan ways to implement an
anti-terrorism cooperation agreement among the Philippines,
Indonesia and Malaysia.
"I intend to express the concern of the Philippines about the
aftermath of the Bali incident, (and) the need to strengthen the
prosecution arm of the government of Indonesia," Ople said, but
did not elaborate further.
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has been
under pressure from several countries -- including Singapore and
the United States -- to take a tougher stance towards terrorists.
Indonesian police say the bomb attacks on Bali that killed 192
people -- mostly foreign tourists -- were the work of Jamaah
Islamiyah, a regional Islamic group with links to Osama bin
Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network. Police have arrested two
dozen people so far, and the suspects are expected to be brought
to trial soon.
Hassan is also slated to visit Japan for six days starting
Sunday, and will meet Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi
on Tuesday, Antara reported, quoting Japan's foreign ministry.
Discussions are to center on terrorism issues and the recent
peace accord with separatists in Aceh.
The peace agreement paves the way for foreign aid to help
rebuild the province after 23 countries pledged aid during a
conference in Tokyo on peace and reconstruction in Aceh on Dec.
3.
Hassan will also visit Kyoto and Osaka before departing Japan
Friday next week, the ministry said.