The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) needs to do more as a regional bloc to combat terrorism, a Malaysian expert told a Banda Aceh seminar last month.

"Combating terrorism cannot be done alone," Abdul Razak Ahmad, associate professor at Malaysia's National Defence University, said at the January 18th seminar on the geopolitics of Southeast Asian terrorist movements.

"We must work together with the international community. ASEAN has strategic roles in addressing terrorism. However, collaboration in this is still limited," he said.

The 10-member bloc is so committed to fostering economic co-operation, it has essentially overlooked regional security matters, despite recent ratification of the ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism (ACCT).

"It requires serious repositioning. ASEAN requires more than just a convention," he told Khabar Southeast Asia.

Rehabilitation and prevention programmes are still weak, Razak said, urging ASEAN to develop a clear, common strategy in this area to prevent a resurgence of regional terrorism networks.

"Who can guarantee that dozens of Indonesian citizens who are now conducting jihad in Syria, will not launch attacks when they return home?" he warned.

Aceh strategic site for militants: official

Militants see Aceh as a strategic site to carry out their activities, a senior security official told the seminar.

Aceh Province Deputy Police Chief Armujito told how regional security forces dismantled a terrorist training camp in the mountains of Aceh Besar Regency in March 2010 after militants infiltrated the province.

"They see that the majority of the people in Aceh are Muslims and Aceh's geography is strategic to conduct militancy exercises," Armujito said, adding its residents rejected the militants' presence.

Asked to comment on a December 31st Densus 88 raid in South Tangerang, Banten Province, in which six suspects were killed, Armujito said the anti-terrorist unit followed established procedures.

"If it's life-threatening, especially when they (militants) have weapons, then the police are entitled to use weapons. Here applies the law to kill or be killed," he said.

Prevention of radicalism

Yet security agencies should respect individuals' rights while pursuing terrorists, said Yusni Sabi of the Coordination Forum for the Prevention of Terrorism (FKPT) which helped organised the seminar.

"Law enforcement should not violate human rights because it will encourage the birth of new terrorist groups," Yusni said. Meanwhile, educators spoke of their role in spreading a culture of peace.

"If the universities are able to educate their students properly, students can be agents of peace that curtail radicalism," the rector's deputy at Syiah Kuala University (Universitas Negri Syiah Kuala/ UNSYIAH) Rusli Yusuf, told the gathering.

Vice Chairman of the House of Representatives of Aceh (DPRA) Sulaiman Abda indicated radicalism prevention efforts need to begin early, continue through college, and be reinforced by familes.

"Terrorism is very dangerous for the community and the integrity of the state," he said.