As the battle against Islamist militants in the southern Philippines continues to rage, talks on regional security are expected to take center stage at this year’s Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, overshadowing the more long-standing discussions on the disputed South China Sea.
In the past, the South China Sea has topped the agenda at the annual regional forum, with participant nations usually expected to press China to conclude a Code of Conduct (CoC) to regulate navigation.
But since May 23 when an alliance of pro-Islamic State fighters laid siege to the southern Marawi City, security forces in the Philippines – this year’s ASEAN host – have been on high alert, with fears rife that the restive region is fast becoming an Asian hub for the ultra-radical group. The ongoing battle in the city has so far killed more than 650 people, mostly rebel fighters.
The Philippines and neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia have recently launched joint maritime patrols in an effort to curb the movement of Islamist fighters, as well as tackle piracy in the porous waters.
Growing concerns about Islamic State militants migrating to the region are “a concern for every country”, says Philippine foreign affairs spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar, adding that he expects “a lot of support” for counter-terrorism operations during the upcoming meetings.
“It’s a concern of every country, and we expect that there will be a lot of support for the Philippine efforts in Marawi, a lot of support for the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia trilateral efforts to combat terrorism in the areas of the Sulu Sea, and the surrounding neighboring areas,” Bolivar said.
Rommel Banlaoi, the Executive Director of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism, says the South China Sea has become “less problematic” than the arrival of increasing numbers of foreign terrorist fighters, which are being viewed as an “urgent priority”.
They also happen to come at a time when Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pursues warmer ties with China.
“There’s now a moment of relative moment in the South China Sea and the positive development happening between China and the Philippines makes the issue of the South China Sea less problematic compared to the issue of terrorism. The issue of terrorism in the Philippines is more and more serious because of the presence not only of local militants but also of foreign terrorist fighters, and for the Philippine government that is the urgent priority to be resolved,” Banlaoi said,
China has rattled nerves around Asia and globally with its increasingly assertive stance and an ambitious military modernization plan in the resource-rich South China Sea. It claims most of the waterway, but several Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam also have competing claims.
China’s claims to sovereignty over the sea were invalidated last year but the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, after the previous Philippine government filed a case in 2013 on maritime boundaries. Duterte, however, has put the ruling on the backburner, saying he’ll revisit it later in his term.
“At present, the regional situation in the South China Sea has become peaceful, and we don’t think tense situation now exists in this region like what some countries are hyping up and exaggerating. Of course, all parties are further discussing the meeting’s agenda, and we will also closely follow relevant situation,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang.
The ASEAN Regional Forum officially kicks off in Manila on Saturday (August 5) with an opening ceremony. The Philippines have said they are deploying a precautionary 13,000 police officers to secure it.
(Reuters)