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.