SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has joined his Asean counterparts in a fresh regional move to fight terrorism in the region and conduct a joint naval military drill with China. In a joint declaration, Gen Prawit and nine other defence ministers agreed to forge closer cooperation within and outside the bloc to brace against serious adversities that threaten the Asean community, which is home to 600 million people.The three-day meeting of the 2018 Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) ended yesterday.Thai defence spokesman Kongcheep Tantravanich said Asean defence ministers attained "more substantial" efforts in forging cooperation to bolster security for the region that is challenged by fresh security issues.Top issues discussed at the ADMM are terrorism, followed by possible maritime conflicts such as the South China Sea, and emerging threats regarding nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.The ministers agreed to form an intelligence sharing … [Read more...] about Asean nations unite in fighting terrorism
Terrorism
Scale, complexity of Asean terror threat growing
SINGAPORE: The terrorist threat facing Southeast Asia is growing as foreign fighters return to the region, Southeast Asian defence ministers said in a joint statement on Tuesday in which they pledged to improve cooperation to tackle militancy. Six Southeast Asian nations launched an intelligence pact last month aimed at combating Islamist militants and improving co-operation on security threats, overcoming what analysts described as a high level of distrust. They also pledged to increase cooperation in July."We, the Defence Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), note with grave concern the rise of terrorism in our region, perpetrated by individuals and groups with increasingly sophisticated and deadly tactics and weapons," they said at the conclusion of their two-day meeting in Singapore."The scale and complexity of the terrorist threat faced by our region continues to grow with the influx of returning foreign terrorist fighters and cross border movement of … [Read more...] about Scale, complexity of Asean terror threat growing
Prosecutors say a terror suspect was ‘brainwashed’ by far-right voices online. Can you blame the people he read?
U.K. prosecutors on Tuesday said a London terror suspect was “brainwashed” by right-wing personalities and online material — including from a Canadian outlet — in the weeks before he allegedly drove a van into Muslim worshippers, killing one.Earlier this month, a man threatened to shoot CNN employees to fight the network his president mercilessly targets — “Fake news. I’m coming to gun you all down,” a male voice said in a telephone call, according to documents unsealed this week. And in Canada, a country will on Monday mark the one-year anniversary of a mass shooting at a Quebec City mosque that killed six — an attack in which the suspect was reportedly a fan of French Front National leader Marine Le Pen’s xenophobic views. These three criminal cases again raise the debate about how the spread of hateful or radical views can lead to violence, and whether those who espouse such rhetoric should be held responsible for actions … [Read more...] about Prosecutors say a terror suspect was ‘brainwashed’ by far-right voices online. Can you blame the people he read?
Suthep to fight terror charges
Street protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban vows to fight charges of insurrection and terrorism after public prosecutors indicted him and eight others yesterday over their months of "Bangkok shutdown" demonstrations to oust the Yingluck Shinawatra government. The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were arraigned at the Criminal Court yesterday. The charges include insurrection, criminal association, illegal assembly and obstructing elections.The eight other defendants were Sathit Wongnongtoey, 57, Chumpol Julasai, 48, Buddhipongse Punnakanta, 50, Issara Somchai, 72, Witthaya Kaewparadai, 63, Thaworn Senneam, 71, Natapol Teepsuwan, 52, and Akanat Promphan, 32.Mr Suthep and Mr Chumpol were also indicted for terrorism.The maximum penalty for insurrection is execution.The charges related to the activities of the defunct People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) to protest against the Yingluck government from November 2013 to May 2014 that included a "Bangkok shutdown" … [Read more...] about Suthep to fight terror charges
Montreal couple hired as consultants after acquittal on terror charges
MONTREAL—A young Montreal couple recently acquitted of terrorism charges is being paid by a publicly funded de-radicalization agency to share their experience on radicalization in the prison system.Sabrine Djermane and El Mahdi Jamali, both 21, will spend the next three months at Montreal’s Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence working on a guide to help corrections officers and other workers to spot the warning signs of extremism in custody, said Herman Deparice-Okomba, head of the centre.“We need their expertise as people who have gone through the system,” he said in an interview. He added that the guide would include how to handle and work with prisoners awaiting trial or convicted for terrorism offences.“The second element is to have them help us document the process of indoctrination and radicalization in Quebec . . . .“The idea is for us to develop prevention strategies.” … [Read more...] about Montreal couple hired as consultants after acquittal on terror charges