Need for regional security cooperation

THE reported death of a suspected Bali bombing mastermind, in a raid this week, is a significant achievement of the Indonesian authorities in their ongoing campaign against militancy across the archipelago. Dulmatin, a suspected mastermind behind the bombings of Bali nightclubs that claimed 202 lives was killed last Tuesday in a police raid on the outskirts of Jakarta. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has confirmed the death of Dulmatin.

The news came as the Indonesian military launched a major operation in Aceh against militants suspected of having ties with the Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). At least 24 militants have been caught in a series of police raids in Java and Aceh since February 22.

It is widely believed that the militant group had chosen Aceh as its training centre, believing that security forces were not vigilant in the socially conservative province since a violent separatist movement ended in 2005.

Indonesian President is reported to have said that the terrorists were not former members of the now defunct Free Aceh Movement. "This is a really well organised terrorist group who chose Aceh as its training region," Yudhoyono told a Cabinet meeting earlier this month.

A mountainous tough terrain located near sea, Aceh drew the militants who needed such hideouts for their secret training. In an interview with The Brunei Times this week, Aceh Deputy Governor Muhammad Nazar warned that the militants were trying to destabilise the region, exploiting the proximity of Aceh to Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam.

This is a serious warning which cannot be ignored. Regional networking and cooperation among militants had been observed in the past as well. Even Dulmatin had been seen in the southern Philippines as recently as three months ago, which shows that the militants are active in the entire region. Aceh Deputy Governor has rightly called for boosting regional security cooperation to dismantle the militants' network.

In another related development last week, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia stepped up sea patrols in the Strait of Malacca after Singapore's navy said it had received indications of a terrorist group's move to target oil tankers.

Although Indonesia has denied that there was any link between the recent arrests and killing of militants and Malacca strait threat, one cannot rule out the possibility of the militants' grouping for regional attacks.

Hence, the situation calls for immediate, mid-term and long-term measures by the Southeast Asian countries to tackle the threat. The short-term measures have already been taken by many countries with the boosting of security and surveillance.

The mid-term measures include increased coordination among the security forces, intelligence agencies and immigration departments in the region to counter any terror threat.

Similarly, long term measures should also be taken to eliminate the scourge of militancy and terrorism from the region. Illiteracy, poverty and conflicts are some of the factors that can fan extremism and militancy.

In the absence of a strong and representative government, the conflict-hit southern Philippines has been a favourite destination for fugitive militants.

However, it is pertinent to mention that the Philippine government, through Malaysian mediation, is trying to resolve the conflict in south and sign a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). This is a step in the right direction as a stable southern Philippines cannot be used by the fugitives. This would also contribute greatly towards regional peace and stability.