CLOSER COORDINATION, COOPERATION NEEDED TO COUNTER TERRORISM, EXTREMISM by Fardah

Jakarta, Sept 8, 2016 (Antara)- Terrorism is still considered to be a major potential threat, and thus, it was selected as an important topic of discussion at the ASEAN Summits and ASEAN Plus dialog partners' Summits in Vientiane, Laos.

          In almost all speeches and presentations during the summits, every leader highlighted terrorism and extremism as a common enemy that should be tackled through regional and international cooperation.

          President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was one of the ASEAN leaders whose speeches also warned of the dangers of extremism and terrorism in Southeast Asia.

          He, therefore, called on every ASEAN leader to optimize all ASEAN mechanisms to counter terrorism and extremism.

          The ASEAN member nations must take common actions and strengthen security in their respective countries, Jokowi, who was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, stated during the ASEAN Leaders' Retreat in Vientaine, on Sept. 7.

          Meanwhile, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned ASEAN leaders of the changing face of terrorism and its growing threat to the region that makes it one of the three big issues confronting the ASEAN.

          "The conclusion is we have to work together more closely, share intelligence and our analysis of threats, counter extremist doctrines and exchange views, and take concerted actions against terrorist groups," Lee was quoted as saying by Straitstimes.com.

          Furthermore, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has expressed keenness to intensify Australia's counterterrorism cooperation with Indonesia, Malaysia, and other neighboring countries.

          The Australian government is taking measures to prevent foreign fighters who could be recruited from Southeast Asia and Australia, and Turnbull is pushing for increased intelligence sharing, ABC reported.

          Concrete actions have been offered by Japan, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced an anti-terrorism assistance package of 45 billion yen (US$597 million) during the ASEAN-Japan Summit.

          The amount will be disbursed over a period of three years to its Asian neighbors. Japan's plan aims to help build counterterrorism capabilities, such as to intensify border controls, enhance preventive education and efforts to counter the extremist ideology, and provide hardware, such as explosive detection equipment to governments.  
   The leaders gathered in Laos on Sept 6-8, for the 28th ASEAN Summit that discussed ASEAN Community building efforts, and the 29th ASEAN Summit focusing on on regional and international issues of common interest and concern.

         In addition, they also attended the 19th ASEAN-China Summit to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN-China dialog relations, the 19th ASEAN-Japan Summit, the 18th ASEAN-Republic of Korea Summit, the 19th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, the First ASEAN-Australia Summit, the 8th ASEAN-UN Summit, the 14th ASEAN-India Summit, the 4th ASEAN-United States of America Summit, and the 11th East Asia Summit.

         Most of the leaders, including Jokowi, had flown to Laos from China where they had attended the 11th G20 Summit Conference.  
    The surge in acts of terrorism across different parts of the world some time ago was also among main topics of discussion at the summit held in Hangzhou, Zheijang Province, on September 4-5.

         In a joint communique issued in the final day of the Summit, the G20 leaders affirmed the commitment to fighting all forms of terrorism and uprooting terrorist sources.

          The leaders of G20 member countries continue to assert their solidarity in fighting terrorism across the globe.

          In facing terrorism, all member countries are committed to effectively exchanging information, freezing the assets of terrorists, and criminalizing all terrorist activities.

           They believe that increase in the frequency of terrorist attacks has become a threat to the global economy.

          In the meantime, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto was also in Vientiane to attend the 14th ASEAN Political and Security Council Meeting, which also discussed the problem of terrorism and radicalism, on Sept. 6.

        Wiranto highlighted the importance of ASEAN coordination to fight terrorism and extremism.

          "The key points are coordination and unity. Without them, we will not be able to fight it because terrorism has no state, no laws, and is not tied to a country. Hence, we must be united there," Wiranto stated in the meeting which was also attended by Minister Retno LP Marsudi.

          The minister considered the meeting productive, and Indonesia presented inputs on terrorism financing gathered during a recent meeting in Bali.

         Indonesia, which has tightened its borders to prevent movement of terrorists, has played a crucial role in security cooperation in ASEAN as terrorism has become a threat that all nations face, he added.

        It is believed that terror cannot be fought alone. To this end, international cooperation, including the exchange of information gathered through intelligence, is needed to counter terrorism as terror does not recognize borders.

         Cyber media must also be monitored closely because it is often used as a tool of propaganda. ***2***
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 08-09-2016 14:59:36