MANILA/KUALA LUMPUR: Southeast Asian security chiefs said yesterday they needed to strengthen often patchy co-operation in the fight against terror, after a string of attacks that brought home the international scope of the threat.

Despite the capture and conviction of several high-profile Islamic militants in the region, analysts say the potential for attacks remains high and co-operation by police and armed forces has been too constrained by national boundaries.

Two regional summits held yesterday, one of police chiefs in Manila and another of army chiefs in Kuala Lumpur, underlined how the terror threat is transforming security co-operation in the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"We must not allow terrorist groups to sow terror and violence in the region," Philippine Interior Secretary Jose Lina said in opening remarks to the three-day police summit.

"The exchange of intelligence information is one avenue we can all improve on."

In the Malaysian capital, generals agreed to step up border patrols to counter militants and smugglers but said controlling the illicit trade of small arms in particular would be tough.

"There's a web of activities taking place," said Malaysian army chief General Mohamad Shahrom Nordin, adding that Malaysia would step up border patrols with two of its neighbours, Indonesia and Thailand.

"Never before has a situation occurred so warranting ASEAN countries to work together," he told a news conference.

ASEAN, with more than 500 million people and some two million military personnel, faces a myriad of security issues ranging from terrorism to territorial disputes and drug smuggling.

The transnational scope of terror was highlighted by the recent capture in Thailand of Hambali, the suspected operations chief of regional militant network Jemaah Islamiah (JI), who is thought to have masterminded last October's Bali bombings.

Agencies via Xinhua

(China Daily 09/10/2003 page1)