PHNOM PENH (ANN/THE PHNOM PENH POST) – Senior ASEAN officials have called on the bloc’s member states to intensify cooperation and develop new strategies to tackle arms smuggling, recognising it as an escalating threat to regional stability.
This appeal was made during the 6th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) working group on arms smuggling, held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on May 8.
The meeting, chaired by Ministry of Interior secretary of state Por Pheak, who leads the SOMTC-Cambodia working group, emphasised the need for stronger regional coordination to combat this growing security challenge.
Representatives of the ASEAN member states, observer-status member Timor-Leste, the ASEAN Secretariat and Nonviolence International Southeast Asia (NISEA) attended the meeting, discussing, exchanging views, and sharing updates on arms smuggling trends across the region.
“The participants noted that the fight against arms smuggling is a complex issue that is increasing from year to year,” said a May 8 interior ministry press release.
“As such, it is necessary to strengthen cooperation between ASEAN member countries and partners through both existing mechanisms and the establishment of new ones to prevent and curb arms smuggling in the territory of ASEAN member countries to maintain peace, stability and security,” it added.
NISEA, a SOMTC-Cambodia partner, urged the implementation of the ASEAN anti-arms smuggling declaration, initiated by Cambodia.
NISEA also introduced a June workshop schedule to further advance future cooperation.
As an observer, Timor-Leste shared the current issues – and response mechanisms – that are occurring in its territory.
Yang Poeu, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC), believed that if the illegal arms trade is left unchecked, it could lead to internal and regional insecurity. He explained that criminals may use these weapons to commit crimes, threatening the stability of nations across the region.
He urged ASEAN to work together to crack down on the arms trade, noting the need for a willingness to make any attempts effective.
“I think ASEAN should work more deeply on this, with a thorough focus on producing actual outcomes, rather than just holding meetings and suggesting cooperation,” he said.
“Certainly, the arms trade is a complex issue. If there is no clear political will to crack down on it, it will further complicate the ASEAN region. The region is facing a lot of issues, particularly in terms of the smuggling of arms, drug trafficking and many other security issues, as well as ongoing regional issues like the situation in Myanmar,” he added.
