Terrorism deadly threat to ASEAN's future: Brunei

Terrorism deadly threat to ASEAN's future: Brunei

Agencies, Bandar Seri Begawan

Terrorism threatens to destroy the ASEAN grouping if it cannot ensure regional security, the Sultan of Brunei warned on Monday at the opening of a Southeast Asian foreign ministers' conference.

In a frank assessment of the future for the 10-nation bloc, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said terrorism has put regional economic security at risk.

"Without peace and stability, all ASEAN's work will ultimately founder," he said in the opening address to the meeting.

The focus of the talks, which expand later in the week to take in ASEAN's key allies including the United States, China and Japan, is on drawing up a counter-terrorism plan, and a roadmap to ensure a regional economic recovery.

The terrorism threat, which erupted with the Sept. 11 atrocities, came as most Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economies were still recovering from the 1997 Asian financial crisis which battered the region.

"For hundreds of millions of people we represent, the most pressing item on our regional agenda is economic progress," the Sultan said, but underlining its inextricable link to the terrorism threat.

"As an association we succeed or fail on the durability of peace and stability in Southeast Asia. That has always been the pre-requisite for lasting cooperation. Unless it exists, we cannot bring economic and social benefits to our people. That is where I see terrorism's greatest threat."

ASEAN and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell are expected to sign the agreement during the Asia-Pacific region's largest annual security meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.

The accord would increase U.S. technical and financial aid against terrorism, increase sharing of intelligence information and build closer ties between law enforcement agencies in each nation.

It originally stipulated that Washington would act in accordance with "the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity and ... nonintervention in the domestic affairs of other states."

The new wording, changed at Washington's request, says only that it "recognizes" such principles.

Indonesia and Vietnam initially objected to the revision, fearing it would dilute sovereignty and allow the United States to send ground troops to the region. But ASEAN foreign ministers say military operations would be left to individual countries.

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.

The region's leaders want to end the perception that their nations are a possible launching ground for terror.

Indonesia and Vietnam have said they will support the pact, though diplomats said Vietnam was concerned about technical points in naming agencies that would communicate with other countries.

Singapore Foreign Minister Shanmugam Jayakumar said the draft document was "very close to finalization." "I think it's a good draft," Jayakumar said. "It emphasizes that ASEAN wants to work with the United States."

Powell arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, early Monday from a weekend visit to India and Pakistan and comes to Brunei late Tuesday. U.S. officials said that no final agreement had been reached on the proposed anti-terrorism pact.

The ministers are also expected to finalize wording over a proposed accord with China on preventing military clashes in the South China Sea, where many have overlapping territorial claims over the Spratly islands and other areas rich in oil and fisheries.

After three years of unsuccessful ASEAN negotiations on a legally binding "code of conduct" for disputed areas, Malaysia has proposed a nonbinding political declaration that would only have moral force.

The security meeting later in the week, called the ASEAN Regional Forum, brings the Southeast Asians together with 13 other nations with strategic interests in the region, including the United States, China, India, Japan, both Koreas, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.

In addition to discussions on terrorism and the South China Sea, talks are expected to include tensions between North and South Korea following a recent naval clash, and infiltrations in Kashmir that are keeping India and Pakistan on a war footing.

The forum is expected to announce steps to cut the flow of funds to suspected terrorist groups, including the freezing of bank accounts.