VOA, 05 March 2007
Officials Report Some Success in Fight Against Terrorism, But
Threat Remains
By Nancy-Amelia Collins, Jakarta
Asian nations agree they are experiencing some success in the fight against
terrorism but say Islamic militants continue to pose a threat with constantly changing
tactics, new strategies, and fresh recruitment. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins in Jakarta
has more.
[PHOTO: Ministers pose for group photo during opening ceremony of Sub-Regional
Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism, in Jakarta, 5 Mar. 2007.]
Six Asia-Pacific nations began a two-day meeting in Jakarta Monday to discuss
current efforts and new developments in the region's fight against terrorism.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says as efforts to combat terrorism
improve, so do the capabilities of the militants to carry out new strikes.
"Terrorists are still out there. They continue to find support. They continue to make
bombs. And they continue to recruit operatives to carry out their attacks," Downer
said. "And even as our capacity to stop them improves, their methods and abilities
become more sophisticated."
The conference is co-hosted by Indonesia and Australia. Both countries have been
cooperating closely since the regional terrorist group Jemaah Isamiyah bombed the
Indonesian resort island of Bali in 2002. Many of the more than 200 people killed were
Australian tourists.
Indonesia has suffered a series of terrorist attacks over the past several years blamed
on Jemaah Islamiyah, or J.I.
While Indonesia has arrested some 300 J.I. militants over the last few years, security
analysts warn the organization has splintered and regrouped into several factions that
continue to pose a serious threat.
Indonesia's foreign minister, Hassan Wirajuda, says terrorist attacks affect the
security and economies of nations in the region.
"We owe it to our citizens to wage a protracted battle against terrorism, for when
terrorists are successful they not only manage to kill large numbers of people, but
they also paralyze societies and destabilize political systems, and they wreck
economies," he said.
Participants in the meeting include Thailand, which is fighting separatists in its largely
Muslim southern provinces, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, which is
fighting the J.I.-linked Abu Sayyaf terrorist group on the southern Philippine island of
Jolo.
The meeting will tackle two major issues - fighting Islamic radicalism and preparing for
a mass casualty attack.
Other topics to be discussed are the building of a security database system, and
cooperation between the six nations on monitoring the movement of people and
weapons across borders. |
