Unity against terror sought

Unity against terror sought

M. Jegathesan, Agence France-Presse, Kuching, Malaysia

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Indonesian
President Megawati Soekarnoputri agreed to step up cooperation in
the fight against terrorism during talks here on Thursday.

"We agreed to cooperate in defense and intelligence sharing to
ensure national security. We spoke of the need for closer
cooperation in the fight against terrorism," Mahathir told a
joint news conference.

Megawati said Indonesia would press its proposal for an
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Security Community
(ASC) to enhance regional security.

The proposed ASC would include centers for combating
terrorism, training in peacekeeping, a center for cooperation on
non-conventional issues and regular ASEAN police and defense
ministers' meetings.

Asked about the perception that Indonesia was not doing enough
to combat terrorism, Megawati said: "Suicide attacks can happen
in any country. We have to unite to fight terrorism."

Indonesia has been the target of major terrorist attacks, in
Bali last October and at the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta earlier
this month.

The attacks have been blamed on the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI)
terrorist network, and several Malaysians have been named along
with Indonesians as being among the group's senior figures.

The two leaders also discussed Malaysia's recent arrest of
more than 200 Indonesians from the troubled Nanggroe Aceh
Darussalam province as they sought asylum at the office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala
Lumpur.

"We do not allow illegals or Acehnese to seek political asylum
in Malaysia," Mahathir told the news conference. "They are
illegals and they will be caught and put in detention centers and
deported."

Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda told reporters
later that "both leaders agree that they (the Acehnese) will be
sent back and Indonesia will cooperate to facilitate their
deportation.

"The presence of Acehnese in Malaysia has nothing to do with
the military operation in Aceh. They are not refugees. There is
no excuse for them to come to Malaysia," he said.

Indonesia launched a massive operation to crush separatist
guerrillas of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on May 19, and the
UNHCR and rights group Amnesty International have protested
Malaysia's detention of the asylum seekers.

The two leaders said they had also discussed a number of other
issues, including improving trade, increasing cross-border
investment, smuggling and piracy.

"There are no problems in our relations," said Mahathir. "We
find it easy to cooperate in all fields."

The issue of illegal Indonesian immigration into Malaysia had
not been completely solved but he acknowledged, "Indonesia has
taken a lot of measures".

"We hope the annual meeting becomes a tradition between the
leaders of the two countries," said Megawati. "It can be a
platform to resolve outstanding issues."

Mahathir, who is due to retire in October after 22 years in
power, said he hoped next year's meeting would be held in
Indonesia. Kuching, the venue for Thursday's talks, is the
capital of Malaysia's Sarawak State on Kalimantan island, which
it shares with Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam.

On Friday Mahathir returns to Kuala Lumpur while Megawati is
due to fly to Bangkok for a visit to Thailand.