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BENARNEWS- Indonesia and Australia will co-host representatives from Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and New Zealand at a Saturday meeting in Manado, North Sulawesi, to discuss counter-terrorism efforts in light of ongoing battles against militants in not too far-off Marawi, officials said.
Participants at the one-day meeting expect to focus on concerns about the possibility of the extremist group Islamic State (IS) establishing a stronghold in the region, following a siege by IS-linked gunmen in the southern Philippine city on May 23 that unleashed intense fighting with government forces.
“All countries in Southeast Asia agreed to reject their territories becoming a new base of IS,” Wiranto, Indonesia’s coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, said in a statement issued Wednesday.
Wiranto said the meeting in an Indonesian city close to the southern Philippines would focus on what impact Marawi will have on neighboring countries, and common ways to combat terrorism.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is expected to discuss developments following a trilateral meeting with the Philippines and Malaysia on June 22.
Topics to be discussed include preventing the flow of terrorist funds, strengthening laws to criminalize extremists and militants returning to their home countries along with those who provide assistance and support to militants.
Wiranto said representatives would discuss efforts to stop militants from using information technology. The retired army general said Indonesia could take effective measures against terrorism by using a soft approach through coaching and de-radicalization, and a hardline approach through strict law enforcement.
IPAC study
The fighting in Marawi, which led to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declaring martial law in the southern region of Mindanao, could pose new risks for the region after the battles there end, according to the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) in Jakarta. More than 600 people – mostly militants – have died in more than two months of fighting in Marawi, the Philippine government said Wednesday.
In a report published last week, IPAC predicted that new threats in Indonesia and Malaysia would be caused by militants who return to the two countries after having fought in Marawi. About 20 Indonesians were among foreign fighters in the Mindanao region.
The Philippines will have terror cells that will be smaller than before the battles, but will be capable of committing violence and indoctrinating members, IPAC reported. Additionally, the battles could lead to militant groups from the three nations conducting joint operations in Indonesia or elsewhere, the study said.
On Thursday, Malaysian Defense Minister Hishamuddin Hussein urged Manila to host a special meeting for defense chiefs of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations to discuss regional security concerns related to Marawi.
“This update needs to be shared because possibly there are some member-states which do not realize that the threat of IS can affect their position,” Hishamuddin said, noting that any perceived signs of instability in one country could affect the entire region.
Last month, Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo said that dormant IS cells existed in all provinces in Indonesia, except in Papua. The return of Indonesian and foreign combatants bring concerns over the awakening of the dormant cells, he said.
Maj. Gen. Ganip Warsito, a TNI commander who is responsible for the areas of North, Gorontalo and Central Sulawesi, said the military had stepped up surveillance on a chain of smaller islands north of Sulawesi island that belong to Indonesia and are entry points to the country.
Results
Ridlwan Habib, a University of Indonesia researcher on terrorism issues, said the attendees at Saturday’s meeting should reach a consensus regarding terrorism financing and how Indonesia’s Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center can better access data of partner agencies.
In addition, he said, participants need to clarify the mechanisms used to exchange information related to the movement of terrorists from one country to another.
“For example, if there is information about Indonesian citizens entering Marawi or vice versa, can this be directly shared among the institutions authorized to handle terrorism in each country, or will it only be shared based on request,” Ridlwan told BenarNews on Thursday.
Regarding the involvement of Australia and New Zealand, Ridlwan sees the two countries as being interested in safeguarding their people.
“It’s about the sterilization of their territory from the entry of terrorists,” he said.
N. Natha in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.


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