SE Asians dispute antiterror accord with United States
SE Asians dispute antiterror accord with United States
Patrick McDowell, Associated Press, Bandar Seri Begawan
Southeast Asian diplomats said on Friday they hope to reverse perceptions the region is a launchpad for terrorist attacks, but Indonesia and Vietnam raised objections to a proposed anti-terror accord with the United States.
Senior officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations began finalizing the groundwork for next week's meetings between their countries and a dozen others with security interests in Asia-Pacific, including the United States, China, Japan, India, Russia and both Koreas.
Terrorism will rank high on the agenda, with ASEAN expected to sign a memorandum of understanding with the United States.
Meanwhile, an expected meeting between the North and South Korean foreign ministers should help ease tensions lingering from their deadly naval clash last month.
"Some obviously want to focus on terrorism," ASEAN Secretary- General Rodolfo Severino told The Associated Press. "The U.S. obviously wanted to, after suffering last year's trauma. Nobody objects to that, but it will not be the main topic."
Severino said that the Korean dialogue, coming two years after the North was admitted to the regional forum, would be equally important.
Southeast Asia has become a second front in the war on terrorism, with U.S. troops helping fight Abu Sayyaf guerrillas in the Philippines and Malaysia and Singapore arresting scores of alleged al-Qaeda-linked extremists accused of plotting bomb attacks.
One militant in custody in Malaysia is accused of having allowed two of the Sept. 11 hijackers to stay at his apartment near Kuala Lumpur in 2000 and of providing papers to terror suspect Zacarias Moussaoui papers to facilitate his entry into the United States.
"We need to formulate more joint action projects to redeem the perception that ASEAN is a hotbed for terrorism," a Malaysian official said on condition of anonymity. "ASEAN is ready to listen what sort of initiatives the U.S. will propose at this meeting."
But officials said on Friday that Indonesia and Vietnam had raised last-minute objections to the proposed U.S.-ASEAN agreement to cooperate more closely in combatting terrorism.
Indonesia is concerned that it might lead to the dispatch of U.S. military advisers or ground troops to Southeast Asia and wants to ensure an accord conforms with UN Charter guarantees of national sovereignty, an Indonesian official said on condition of anonymity.
Vietnam has similar concerns and is urging ASEAN to stick by its bedrock principle of non-interference in each other's affairs.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who arrives in Brunei on Tuesday, is expected to press for a tougher joint approach to terrorism.
"What's important to America is to show to the world is that ASEAN is supporting them in this campaign," an ASEAN official said on condition of anonymity.
Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines have urged Indonesia -- where many terror suspects arrested in their countries came from -- to take a stronger stand. Indonesia says it is taking steps against terrorism, but won't violate human rights to do so.
In the legally non-binding accord, Washington is offering technical and financial aid to ASEAN including logistics, training and money and provide for greater cooperation on intelligence exchanges.
In Canberra, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said next week's meetings would be a chance to discuss "the strategic consequences of the terrorist attacks and the war on terrorism for our region."
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The other regional forum members are Australia, Canada, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia and the European Union.