"An Evil Hiding in the Shadows"
In the Philippines officials and experts from more than 50 nations were holding a three-day meeting on ways to better focus the battle against international and regional terrorism which experts describe as an "evil hiding in the shadows". Douglas Bakshian reports
During the conference, experts admonished that the Philippines and other Southeast Asian governments must do more to stop cross-border funding for terrorist groups
Ellen Margrethe Loj, the head of the U.N. Security Council's committee on counter-terrorism, says that while most of the countries in Southeast Asia have anti-money laundering measures in place, there is slow progress in prosecuting those responsible. She says finance is a crucial front in the struggle against terror.
"In the war against terrorism it is crucial that all avenues for terrorists to get hold of financing be cut. And that's why in the resolution of the United Nations measures to stop possibilities of financing of terrorism are stressed very much."
Monitoring money transfers
Small money transfers are a big issue in some parts of the world where families in poor countries depend on relatives working overseas to send or bring money home. Loj says such transfers should be more closely monitored.
"More probably should be done especially in relation to the informal ways of transferring money. By couriers, informal banking systems, it can be through various organizations, for instance religious or charitable organizations."
The conference is studying ways to find a middle path in fighting terrorism between the hardline approach, using the police and military to prevent bombings and other violence, and soft methods of making sure the proper legal framework is in place to track and prosecute terrorists.
Deeper causes of terrorism
But legal and diplomatic steps are not enough. Terrorism has diverse roots and nations must address political, economic, and social conditions that fuel radicalism, according to Benjamin Defensor, a former Philippine military chief of staff.
"You have to address the deeper causes of terrorism. The causes that make people become terrorists. The common denominator usually is perceived injustice, poverty, and things that make them feel that there is a disparity in the treatment of individuals."
Islamic militants of the Abu Sayyaf group and the regional Jammah Islamiya group operate in the southern Philippines. Cabinet secretary Eduardo Ermita says that since 2004 the government has neutralized more than 200 terrorists, but much more work remains to be done.
"From this scoreboard it shows that our current anti-terrorism efforts have paid off quite well. On the other hand, the fear and tension that remain in our midst tell us that our fight against terrorism is really far from over."
Besides Islamic militants the Philippine government has also fought a decades-long struggle against communist guerrillas. Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, in a statement, said that in between trying to win wars and forging peace, a middle path must be found to overcome the terrorist threat and not compromise security.
Douglas Bakshian
© Deutsche Welle 2006
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