LAKSAMANA.Net, September 6, 2004 08:16 PM
Indonesia Urges Greater Cooperation on Terror
Laksamana.Net - Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) commander General Endriartono
Sutarto has called on Southeast Asian nations to boost military cooperation to
combat cross-border terrorism and prevent carnage on the magnitude of last week's
hostage bloodbath in Russia.
He was speaking to reporters in Jakarta on Monday (6/9/04) after attending an
informal meeting of army chiefs from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN).
"Terrorism was also discussed, lest an incident like the one in Russia take place," he
was quoted as saying by detikcom online news portal.
Armed militants last Wednesday took more than 1,000 adults and children hostage at
a school in the Russian town of Beslan. More than 350 of the hostages were killed by
explosions and gunfire when the siege ended Friday.
Sutarto emphasized that terrorists are often trained in certain countries for attacks on
other nations. "Because terrorists have very wide networks. For example, terrorist
actions in Indonesia have stemmed from training in other countries," he said.
Indonesian authorities have said some of the country's most notorious terrorists,
grouped in the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, received training in Afghanistan,
Pakistan and the southern Philippines.
Sutarto said the regional army chiefs also discussed the issue of weapons smuggling
in Southeast Asia.
The discussions were a precursor to the 5th annual ASEAN Chiefs of Armies
Multilateral Meeting (ACAMM), which will be held Tuesday and focus on terrorism and
other regional security issues.
Over the past four years Indonesia has been hit by a series of terror attacks – the
worst being the October 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that left 202 people dead.
Army chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu expressed hope the ACAMM talks would
increase bilateral solidarity and professionalism among the armed forces of the region.
"Our respective security forces are making their countries safe because our strongest
enemies now are terrorists," he was quoted as saying by detikcom.
He said Indonesia has experience in dealing with terrorism, citing the military's
ongoing campaign to crush "armed groups of separatists and terrorists".
Although Sutarto stressed the need for greater regional cooperation, Ryacudu said the
exchange of information should not prompt certain countries to meddle in the internal
affairs of others.
"For example, in Indonesia we do not want to be branded by outsiders as a nest of
terrorists. The matter of defense is each country's respective obligation. We do not
want other countries getting mixed up," he said.
Tuesday's ACAMM meeting will be attended by the army chiefs of all 10 member
nations of ASEAN: Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Copyright © 2000 - 2004 Laksamana.net, All Rights Reserved.
|
