PHILIPPINES: Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) sign a counter-terrorism convention and their wifes are treated to a performance re-enacting the Battle of Mactan at the nearby Mactan Lapu Lapu Shrine

Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Saturday (January 13) signed a counter-terrorism convention which obliges members to share information. The pact also allows for joint training aimed at stemming terrorism and cross-border crime. The ASEAN members who signed the agreement are Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Inside the summit's plush hotel venue on the Philippines island of Cebu, the leaders inked a counter-terrorism agreement that will clamp down on the movement of arms and fighters between their remote islands through better information exchange and stricter border controls. The security declaration also calls on countries to address the root causes of terrorism in a region with a kaleidoscope of religions and cultures and long-running territorial disputes. As regional leaders gathered for the opening of the annual summit, up to 1,000 protesters marched. Demonstrators carrying banners accusing the United States of interfering in regional affairs and called on governments to stop the U.S.-led war on terror in Iraq during a colourful rally through Cebu city. Human rights activists among the protesters condemned the ASEAN for keeping silent on political killings in the Philippines which have claimed hundreds of lives. Security remained on high alert and protesters were not permitted near the Shangri La Hotel and the Cebu International Convention Centre (CICC) where official events are set to take place. But protest leaders were defiant, lashing out at the government for imposing strict restrictions on their movements. A 13,000 strong security force has been deployed throughout Cebu to man check points and provide protection for the 16 world leaders, including the heads of state from Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, India and South Korea, that are attending the meeting. While the leaders from ASEAN were in engaged in dialogue at the start of the summit with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, their spouses were treated to a performance re-enacting the Battle of Mactan at the nearby Mactan Lapu Lapu Shrine. Jose Miguel Arroyo, husband of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Ani Bambang Yudhoyono, First Lady of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Chitravadee Chulanont, wife of Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, were among the spouses of ASEAN leaders that attended the performance.

ITN Source | January 13, 2007

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