Addressing Poverty and Embracing Rule of Law Are Key for ASEAN to Counter Terrorism
(Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN) While addressing the World Economic Forum in Cambodia in May, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as the ASEAN chair said that ASEAN countries needed to work together to ensure a drug-free and a terror-free region. It seems that the Philippines keeps human security as the key priority for this regional grouping as it turns 50 this year. The recent clashes between Philippine government forces and Islamic State-inspired militant group “Maute” in Marawi City, followed by Jakarta’s suicide bombing that killed five people, drew more attention that indicates the region is in urgent need for a more effective joint mechanisms to cope with new security challenges especially the rise of terrorism and extremism, that currently posed a major threat to ASEAN community and its unity. Among the militants that were killed in Marawi city were Malaysian and Indonesian citizens, an indication that extremists operations was actually engaged and coordinated betwee