Terrorism in SE Asia to loom over ASEAN summit
Terrorism in SE Asia to loom over ASEAN summit
Denis Gray, Associated Press, Phnom Penh
Leaders of 14 Asian nations are poised to take concrete steps to fight terrorism on the continent and some may put pressure on Indonesia to rein in radical Islamic groups that have already infiltrated parts of Southeast Asia, officials say.
In the wake of bombings in Bali and the Philippines, terrorism is certain to cast a long, dark shadow when leaders of the 10- member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gather here Nov. 4-5 for their annual summit. Joining them will be key dialog partners China, Japan, South Korea and India.
Prime ministers and presidents are arriving in the Cambodian capital with evidence, though still fragmentary, that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network has spread into Southeast Asia, connected with local terrorist groups and has the capacity to launch devastating strikes.
The themes, loudly stated at the recent gathering of the 21- member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Mexico, will likely again resound in Phnom Penh: that terrorism must be fought on a united front and that among the best weapons are jobs, education and general economic well-being.
How to keep foreign tourists coming to the region following a terrorist act like the Oct. 12 bombing in Bali that killed nearly 200 people will likely also be discussed.
"It is our view that fighting terrorism requires the efforts of each country and the whole region," Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said in response to questions from The Associated Press.
The security focus at the meeting will probably be on Southeast Asia's Islamic underside - Indonesia, Malaysia and the southern Philippines.
Malaysian officials say privately that Indonesia has not done enough to crack down on militant groups like Jamaah Islamiyah, which is suspected in the Bali bombings, or in tracking down fugitive Malaysian militants believed to be taking refuge there.
Malaysia, which plans to set up a U.S.- backed regional center for counterterrorism, is expected to prod Indonesia to crack down on local suspected terrorists who could use the country as a launching pad for more attacks in the region.
Malaysia and Singapore have detained scores of suspected Jamaah Islamiyah members. Malaysia says the group's alleged operations chief, Indonesian Riduan Isamuddin, fled Malaysia just before authorities launched their crackdown, and that the region's most wanted terrorist may be hiding in Indonesia.
ASEAN's anxiety about security can be gleaned from the draft of a proposed agreement it plans to sign here with China. The agreement lists trafficking in illegal drugs, people smuggling, piracy, terrorism, arms smuggling, money laundering, international economic crime and cybercrime as major security concerns.
The accord calls for a strengthening of information and personnel exchanges, joint training and other forms of cooperation.
A second agreement, signed this year among Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, will be beefed up since Thailand and Brunei are expected to accede to the accord during the summit, according to Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja of the Philippines.
Other members of ASEAN include Laos, Singapore, Vietnam and Myanmar, also known as Burma.