New bridges across Asia

One of the most effective weapons against terrorism is greater understanding of Muslim societies, the Dean of Asian Studies at ANU, Professor Tony Milner, told a recent Jakarta conference.

Addressing the 4th General Conference of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific  (CSCAP), Professor Milner said it was crucial to make a distinction between Islamist terrorists and increased religiosity in Islamic societies.

“We need to listen to specialists on these societies as well as to terrorist experts,” he said.

The Australian division of CSCAP is co-chaired by ANU Professor Des Ball and Professor Milner and based at ANU. The organisation has been widely recognised by Australian and international governments for its pivotal role in shaping the architecture of security in the region.

The conference was co-hosted by Australia and Indonesia and addressed a wide range of issues including regional law enforcement, intelligence sharing and “post-incident” cooperation - such as occurred between police agencies in the wake of the Bali and Jakarta bombings.

It attracted Government Ministers from Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Timor, and senior officials from other countries.

The Indonesian Co-ordinating Minister for Politics and Security, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said CSCAP’s success marked “the emergence of a new security culture, which compels all of us … to work together to fight terror, irrespective of whether you are Indonesian, Filipino, Russian, American, Japanese (or) Australian”.

He said CSCAP had “distinguished itself as a vibrant forum where the brightest minds from all around the region gather in an informal setting to dwell on issues of the day”.

The Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, noted a growing Islamic observance in the region, but insisted that this should not be confused with the emergence of terrorist groups. He acknowledged the positive role the Islamic political and social organisations play in the region.

Mr Downer said the Jakarta conference brought together “security academics and scholars of Islam to pose some questions about the relationship between Islam in the West”.

An article by Rowan Callick in the Australian Financial Review prior to the conference discussed the role of ANU academics and noted that, “almost stealthily, Australian experts have been guiding Asia towards a multi-lateral security network in which Australia plays a significant catalytic role, as it did with the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Forum”.

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