COOPERATION NEEDED TO MAINTAIN ASEAN SECURITY: VEEP

Jakarta, 19 Shawwal 1436/4 August 2015 (MINA) –  Indonesian vice president Jusuf Kalla has expressed the need for ASEAN member countries to cooperate in an effort to maintain regional security ahead of the implementation of ASEAN Economic Community later this year.

“Cooperation is needed to settle criminal cases happened among ASEAN countries or with other countries with regard to technological progress and current development,” he said on his opening speech at the ASEAN police chiefs meeting here Tuesday. Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) reported, quoting Antara News.

Kalla said more organized information cooperation and coordination between neighboring countries would be required to deal with cyber crimes, terrorism, human trafficking and drug smuggling.

Through such a conference they could discuss efforts to boost cooperation to protect and serve people in their respective countries, he said.

Based on our experience we know many criminal or terrorism activities have involved other countries,” he said, adding that  cyber crimes committed by foreigners is on the rise in Indonesia.

Kalla said more detailed information exchange would also be needed to prevent terrorism crimes from happening in the region.

“Indonesia has learned how conflict in one part of the country has easily been supplied with logistics from other regions or countries. Suspects meanwhile have often easily fled to neighboring countries when they are hunted due to a lack of information,” he said.

Due to the width of the ASEAN region to be covered by the police forces, more complete and wider coordination would be needed, Kalla said.

He added that a crime also has the potential to trigger other crimes.

As an example he referred to illegal fishings  that might also cause environmental destruction and human exploitation.

“In view of that, we countries in ASEAN must help each other for the incresad security and assured stability in each member country,” he said.

The conference of ASEANAPOL chiefs is scheduled to last until August 7, 2015.

Police chiefs and high-ranking police officers from Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Timor Leste, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, China, South Korea, Russia and Interpol were present at the meeting. (T/P010/RO6)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)