Labuan Bajo (ANTARA) - Indonesia is pushing for strengthened cooperation in combating issues related to terrorism at the 17th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, according to the National Police (Polri).

The statement was made by Grand Commissioner Aswin Siregar, spokesperson of Polri's anti-terror squad Special Detachment (Densus) 88, in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai District, on Tuesday.

Siregar noted that the 17th AMMTC is being held to discuss several priority issues, including terrorism, an issue that requires transboundary cooperation to combat.

"A terrorist group in a country can pose a threat to an entire region," he pointed out.

Siregar elaborated that numerous terrorist organizations have networks that connect multiple countries, adding that some of them also manage to create global networks, covering not only Southeast Asia but also the Middle East and other regions.

Bearing that in mind, Indonesia is striving to encourage all parties in the meeting to exchange information and build a common outlook on the threats posed by terrorism to ASEAN countries, he said.

He stressed that Indonesia underscores the need to cut off cash flow to terrorist organizations, prevent terror information and ideology from spreading on social media, and further intensify collaboration to bolster the region's capability of combating the issue.

Indonesia, as chair of the 17th AMMTC, is ready to share its experiences in combating terrorism and working together with all parties to collectively enhance the ability to execute preventive measures, enforce the law, and intensify deradicalization efforts.

The 17th AMMTC is being held from August 21 to August 23, 2023, with a plenary meeting as the opening session. On the first day of the meeting, Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding on the handling of transnational crimes with Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia.

The agendas on the second day include a consultative meeting with three partner countries: China, Japan, and South Korea.


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Translator: Fransiska M, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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