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.