|
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Cebu ideal for Asean meet, safest: Glo adviser
Cebu is ideal as venue for the Asean summit in December, two Philippine officials attending a counter-terrorism forum said yesterday.
“We chose Cebu because it is one of the most visited places and the safest,” Benjamin Defensor, ambassador-at-large for counter-terrorism, said during a press conference.
Both Defensor and presidential adviser for the peace process Jesus Dureza said reports that Cebu is the rest and recreation area of terrorists are purely speculative.
A number of international gatherings will be held in Cebu in the coming months in a run-up to the summit of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their invited counterparts from the US, Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Russia.
A regional security analyst urged Southeast Asian governments to launch joint military and intelligence operations against Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militants to head off new attacks.
The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia should develop a “new platform” in its fight against the JI, and deploy joint forces to track down the extremists in their jungle bases, said Rohan Gunaratna of Singapore-based Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies.
Gunaratna told reporters on the sidelines of the international security forum that it was only a matter of time before another major attack, because terrorism was an “enduring threat” best addressed by close cooperation among governments.
“Because we see that the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia enjoy a common sea border, it is important for the militaries and navies of these countries to conduct joint operations,” he said, calling the militants “deadly and lethal.”
JI has been blamed for the October 2002 bombings in the Indonesian resort of Bali which killed 202 people and of deploying suicide bombers also in the resort island last year, killing 20 civilians.
Gunaratna said it continues to operate jungle camps in Indonesia and in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao, where they are training with the locally based Abu Sayyaf group and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Gunaratna said there are less than a 100 JI foreign militants in Mindanao, but there are around 400 to 500 “trained” fighters in the region who are prepared to launch fresh attacks.
The head of Chinese delegation, Ambassador Chen Shiqiu said terrorism breeds in situations where there is poverty, secessionist movements and cultural conflicts.
Chen urged the international community to invest more on poverty elimination.
She also urged the community to broaden its understanding and tolerance between different culture and civilizations.
The Chinese ambassador made keynote speech in yesterday’s session on “Assessing Counter-Terrorism Regional Approaches.”
In a separate press conference, Dureza assured reporters that peace talks with MILF are making headway. He did not elaborate, though. (OCP/(AFP)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 22, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
