Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia Agree To Act vs Abu Sayyaf
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia agreed Monday to take possible coordinated actions, including sea and air patrols, to stop an 
alarming wave of cross-border kidnappings and boat attacks by Abu Sayyaf extremists and other outlaws.
Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said no accord was signed during talks with his Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts in Manila 
because he wanted the administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, to formalize any such border security arrangement.
because he wanted the administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, to formalize any such border security arrangement.
Gazmin's designated successor, retired army Maj. Gen. Delfin Lorenzana, joined the meeting at his invitation.
- It follows an initial meeting by the three foreign ministers last month that was hosted by Indonesia and underscored the alarm over the Abu Sayyaf's continuing attacks despite repeated assurances of tighter security by Malaysia and the Philippines.
- "The ministers raised concern over the recent incidents of kidnappings and armed robbery at sea in the maritime areas of common concern," the defense chiefs, who included Hishammuddin Hussein of Malaysia and Ryamizard Ryacudu of Indonesia, said in a joint statement.
- They reaffirmed the need and collective responsibility of the countries to address such threats, it said.
- After staging ransom kidnappings of Malaysian and foreign tourists in Malaysia's Sabah state in recent years, Abu Sayyaf gunmen and allied militants successively attacked three tugboats starting in March, kidnapping a total of 18 Indonesian and Malaysian crewmen.
- The captives were freed in batches from the militants' jungle bases in the southern Philippine province of Sulu reportedly in exchange for huge ransoms. The militants have separately beheaded two Canadian hostages, who were seized from a southern Philippine marina, after a ransom deadline lapsed, sparking condemnations from Canada and a major Philippine military offensive.
- Gazmin told The Associated Press by telephone that the proposed actions include setting up a database on extremists and establishing joint military command posts in designated areas.
- Coordinated security actions are delicate because the Philippines has a territorial claim to Malaysia's easternmost state of Sabah on Borneo Island. The proposals would be studied before being formalized in an agreement that may be signed within the year, he said.
A template for their coordination will be the anti-piracy actions by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand that have reduced the high number of piracy attacks in the Malacca Straits to zero so far this year, Gazmin said. 
"The aim is to send a warning or information to the other side which may face an imminent attack or to us when kidnap victims are about to be brought in," he said.
The Abu Sayyaf has carried out deadly bombings, kidnappings for ransom, beheadings, piracy and extortion, and is considered a terrorist organization by the 
Philippines and the United Nations.
Philippines and the United Nations.
The militants still hold at least five hostages, including a Norwegian resort manager and a Filipino woman kidnapped with the beheaded Canadians in September last year and a Dutch bird watcher, who was abducted more than three years ago.
Source: AP
ASEAN FINDS COMMON GROUND ON SEA DISPUTE
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Southeast Asian nations on Friday vowed to work towards a "code of conduct" in the disputed South China Sea, but failed to fully mend a rift that marred a regional meeting last week.Current chair Cambodia announced that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had agreed on six principles on the sea, where tensions have flared recently with Vietnam and the Philippines accusing Beijing of increasingly aggressive behaviour.
The statement which also includes a commitment to respect international laws and the non-use of force to settle disputes - is an attempt to dispel perceptions that the 10-nation bloc is divided. The Philippines said it was "pleased" with the outcome.
- Divisions over the territorial disputes with Beijing prevented ASEAN from issuing its customary joint statement at the conclusion of a meeting in Phnom Penh on July 13, an unprecedented occurrence in the bloc's 45-year history.
- But signs of discord remained as Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters Friday that the points were broadly similar to what was rejected by Vietnam and the Philippines last week, and blamed them for the earlier impasse.
- "Why did two ASEAN countries absolutely oppose (it) and now they agree with it?" said Hor Namhong.
- Diplomats had said a key sticking point previously was a refusal by Cambodia, a close China ally, to mention bilateral disputes in the sea, pitting it against Manila, which wanted a reference to a months-long standoff with Beijing over the Scarborough Shoal.
- China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the resource-rich sea, which is home to vital shipping lanes, but ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims in the area.
The six-point agreement, which does not give details about specific incidents, follows intense diplomatic efforts by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who visited Hanoi and Manila on Wednesday followed by Phnom Penh.Hor Namhong said the envoy had chosen Vietnam and the Philippines "because these two countries caused the problem that led to the failure of issuing a joint communique".
ASEAN TO VOICE CONCERNS OVER CHINA AGGRESSIVE MOVES IN S. CHINA SEA
BALI, Indonesia - Tensions over China's recent aggressive moves in the South China Sea are likely to be reflected at the ninth ASEAN Summit, where the claims of Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei over the same waters will be raised and addressed.Smaller nations would like to use the ASEAN forum to voice their concern. The United States, which is participating in the summit for the first time, has made it amply clear that freedom of navigation in the South China Sea should not be compromised and all claimants should discuss and find a way out.
- Beijing is livid over Washington's intervention on an issue that it sees as an internal matter, and has categorically said that it does not want to discuss any aspect of theouth China Sea at the Bali summit.
- Some within ASEAN have been urging the United States to play a greater role in South East Asia, to counter China and its increasingly aggressive conduct in the South China Sea.
- Beijing is already warning that the US involvement will only sabotage peace and stability in the region.
- Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see what stand India takes on the issue, since it has huge maritime engagement stakes with the ASEAN countries, especially with Vietnam.
- India is a strong advocate of freedom of navigation and has resolved to carry on maritime engagement with ASEAN countries despite reported objections by China.
At the two-day summit, ASEAN leaders will be joined by U.S. President Barack Obama, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and representative leaders of Russia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand for the newly-expanded East Asia Summit.Meanwhile, in a significant development, ASEAN, of which Myanmar is a member, has formally agreed to give Myanmar chairmanship of the Southeast Asian regional bloc in 2014, two years ahead of schedule.
NO EXPELL FOR BURMA-ASEAN
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Thai television Wednesday that the regional bloc should consider kicking out the military-ruled member state if it does not free the Nobel laureate, who is on trial in prison.
- However, The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will not consider expelling Myanmar over the detention of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, rejecting US calls, Thailand's prime minister said Thursday.
- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, speaking as current chair of the 10-state grouping, said that while ASEAN and the West "have the same goal, we cannot implement the same policy."
- "There are not enough grounds to do that (expel Myanmar). We have already done what we can under the ASEAN mechanism," said Abhisit, referring to the group's public statements expressing concern over Aung San Suu Kyi's detention.
- "If Myanmar is expelled it will further isolate (the regime) and would that solve the problem?"
- Myanmar, ASEAN's problem child since it joined the bloc in 1997 and recently sparked outrage by putting Aung San Suu Kyi on trial over an incident in which an American man, John Yettaw, swam to her lakeside house uninvited.
- The ruling junta snubbed United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in early July by refusing to let him visit Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon's notorious Insein prison, deepening concerns in the international community.
- Clinton on Thursday urged Myanmar to ensure free and fair elections that would require the release of political prisoners, of whom there are more than 2,100 behind bars according to UN figures.
- ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
ASEAN UNDER PRESSURE OVER HUMAN RIGHTS
South-East Asian leaders are facing pressure to take firm action on human rights and halt cases of abuse against migrants and refugees, as they gather for a regional summit in Thailand.
Leaders from the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) are expected to consider plans for a regional human rights body when they begin their summit at the beach resort town of Hua Hin on Friday.
But with the global financial crisis overshadowing the meeting, talks are expected to be dominated b
y ways to protect the region's economies, leading to fears that human rights and in particular, concerns over the abuse of Rohingya migrants will take a back seat.
Ahead of the meeting, international rights groups called on the bloc not to ignore the wide-ranging abuses taking place across the region.
New York–based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said from the recent experience shows the approach relating to Myanmar, had shown "glaring failures".
"Burma's military government continues to deny its citizens basic freedoms, including
freedom of expression, association and assembly," the group said in a statement, referring to Myanmar by its former name.
Amnesty International also urged action on rights, pointing in particular to recent allegations of abuse by the Myanmar and Thai militaries against stateless Rohingya migrants from western Myanmar.
Courtesy: Al Jazeera..more.. and Google
Leaders from the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) are expected to consider plans for a regional human rights body when they begin their summit at the beach resort town of Hua Hin on Friday.
But with the global financial crisis overshadowing the meeting, talks are expected to be dominated b
y ways to protect the region's economies, leading to fears that human rights and in particular, concerns over the abuse of Rohingya migrants will take a back seat.Ahead of the meeting, international rights groups called on the bloc not to ignore the wide-ranging abuses taking place across the region.
New York–based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said from the recent experience shows the approach relating to Myanmar, had shown "glaring failures".
"Burma's military government continues to deny its citizens basic freedoms, including
freedom of expression, association and assembly," the group said in a statement, referring to Myanmar by its former name.Amnesty International also urged action on rights, pointing in particular to recent allegations of abuse by the Myanmar and Thai militaries against stateless Rohingya migrants from western Myanmar.
Courtesy: Al Jazeera..more.. and Google
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