ASEAN condemns Bali bombings, says cooperation essential in combating terrorism
- From: "Chim" <ChimS1@xxxxxxx>
- Date: 3 Oct 2005 03:08:40 -0700
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - The Association of Southeast Asian
Nations on Monday condemned the bomb blasts that killed 26 people on
the Indonesian island of Bali over the weekend, promising to pull
together and heighten joint efforts to beat terrorism in the region.
Southeast Asian countries must work together to identify the
perpetrators, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said at the
sidelines of a preparatory meeting for an upcoming ASEAN summit.
A statement released after the meeting said member countries expressed
their "solidarity with Indonesia" and were committed to "eradicate the
threat of terror in the region and beyond".
Indonesian authorities have identified two Malaysians, Azahari bin
Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top, as the masterminds of the blasts.
Both men fled Malaysia for Indonesia during a nationwide security
crackdown after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
Syed Hamid said Malaysia was willing to cooperate with Indonesia if
investigators there found that the culprits were in Malaysia.
"If really these people are within our country we have no problem to
cooperate with Indonesia," he told reporters, adding that security
officials and investigators from both countries "work quietly with each
other".
But terrorism cannot be handled single-handedly because of its
international nature, and wider cooperation among all ASEAN members is
needed, he said.
"It doesn't matter from which group they are, whether it is the J.I. or
al-Qaida linked, we must deal with them squarely," he said referring to
the regional terror network Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been blamed for
attacks in Indonesia, beginning with the bombings of nightclubs in Bali
in 2002. Since then, Indonesia has been struck by a series of bombings
culminating in Saturday's suicide attacks.
Syed Hamid urged ASEAN members to practice "preventive diplomacy"
because "happenings in one particular ASEAN country have trans-boundary
effects" that extend beyond its borders.
"We need to talk to each other very openly, but holding very dearly to
the principle of noninterference in the domestic affairs of each ASEAN
member country," he said.
ASEAN is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Syed Hamid said Malaysia did not plan to issue a travel advisory
against visiting Bali, but advised Malaysians who were going to visit
the tourist destination to "take care and be on the lookout".
10/03/05 03:59 EDT
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. The information contained in the
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