05 August 2002
Opening Address By Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, Deputy Prime Minister And Minister For Defence, at the Opening Ceremony of the 4th Asia-Pacific Summer Camp for Senior Military Officers
I am pleased to be here today to declare open the Asia-Pacific Summer Camp for Senior Military Officers.
This summer camp is now in its fourth year, and it is heartening to see that, year after year, there is strong participation from many countries across the Asia-Pacific region.
This reflects the importance which all of us attach to such interactions and exchanges, as a means of enhancing understanding and friendship and setting the groundwork for future cooperation.
We are today at a critical juncture.
Security concerns have moved to the top of the agenda for many countries, after the September 11 terrorist attacks brought about a re-ordering of priorities. These attacks, and the subsequent unmasking of the global terrorist networks, showed that very few countries can be unaffected by the threat of international terrorism.
It is a threat of global proportions, a threat which can inflict catastrophic casualties and damage.
Their weapons can include weapons of mass destruction.
And the attacks can take place in both physical and cyber space.
However, terrorism is not the only challenge that we have to deal with.
Other threats to security could arise from such sources as piracy, transnational organised crime and illegal immigration.
While these are not new problems, the nature of the threat they pose to security has become more complex and multi-faceted.
Such threats can have wide social and political ramifications.
They transcend national boundaries, and geography and nationality pose no obstacle.
Economics is also part of the security equation.
With globalisation, the implications and effects of economic problems reach much further and with more devastating impact.
We all saw how the effects of the Asian financial crisis a few years back led to political and social instability and security problems.
Conversely, security is a prerequisite without which there can be no economic growth and development.
The downturn in the US and world economy after September 11 highlighted the knock-on effects and reach of such serious jolts to security.
Globalisation — and the resulting inter-connectedness and ease of communication in all the various dimensions among people„ organisations and nation states — also made possible the phenomenon of the global terrorist network.
This inter-connectedness not only makes it easier for the terrorists to organise themselves and plan their attacks, but also makes the rest of us more vulnerable to the threat.
There are new types of threats to grapple with.
At the same time, the conventional threats to security still remain.
The potential flashpoints in the Asia-Pacific region have not been resolved.
The recent naval skirmish between the two Koreas is a reminder of how the situation can quite quickly take a serious turn for the worse.
The tensions between India and Pakistan, which ebb and flow, show how fragile peace and stability can be.
The Taiwan Straits is another area which illustrate this fragility.
And in the disputed Spratly islands, incidents can. and do sometimes occur which raise tensions through the region.
These are difficult issues to resolve and will remain issues of serious concern for regional peace and stability for some time to come.
Regardless of the nature of the threat, the way forward is clear.
Each of our countries will have to devise responses that suit our own unique circumstances in order to deal with the security problems that confront us.
But this will not be enough to meet the non-conventional threats.
Transnational threats require a transnational response.
Countries now have to work more closely together to tackle the challenges thrown up by today’s security and economic environment.
The outcome of the 9th ASEAN Regional Form last week, when ARF countries agreed to a broad range of measures designed to stop terrorist financing, is encouraging and clearly evident of this new spirit of cooperation. Together, we can strengthen our responses to the security challenges which more and more confront us today.
