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AARM
CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN REGIONAL SECURITY
Indonesia's Army Chief of Staff, General Ryamizard Ryacudu,
said the implementation of the Asean Armies Rifle Meet (AARM)
can give concrete contribution of all the armies of the ASEAN
member countries to the efforts to strengthen the regional
security and ward off rumors that ASEAN is home to terrorists.
"We don't want to be said that ASEAN is home to terrorists.
We must ward off such a rumour. Terrorism is not only the
issue of a country but it is also an international and human
issue," Ryamizard said on the sidelines of dinner with
the army chiefs of staff of ASEAN at Hilton Hotel here Sun-day
evening.
On hand at the dinner party were the army chiefs of the ten
ASEAN member countries - Dato' Seri Mohd Azumi bin Mohamed
(Malaysia, Efren L Abu (the Philippines), POK Seri Pahlawan
Col. Dato Paduka Haji Abdu'R Rahmani bin Dato Paduka haji
Basir (Brunei), Chea Saran (Cambodia), Desmond Kuek (Singapore),
Maung Aye (Myanmar), Chaisit Shinawatra (Thailand), Kenekham
Senglathone (Laos), and Phung Quang Thanh (Vietnam).
As the Indonesian Army Chief of Staff, Ryamizard, through
the regional meeting among the ten ASEAN army chiefs of staff,
he has firmly mentioned things that must be done by the armies
of ASEAN to fight against and eradicate terrorism or factors
potential to terrorist acts.
According to him, factors which must be prepared by the Indonesian
National Army and its ASEAN counterparts are information ex-change
and joint exercises against terrorist acts.
'We have to materialize the wish. The Indonesian National
Army, for example, has prepared 10 raider battalions to deal
with terrorism. And now the neighbouring
countries should do the same," he said.
The raider battalions were officiated on December, 2003, in
Jakarta and the battalions are situated at the the Indonesian
military's main command and the Indonesian National Army's
Reserve and Strategic Command (Kostrad).
"Through the AARM, we prove that the ASEAN armies are
not only trained to wage war, but also aimed at serving as
a briedge of friendship and brotherhood in ASEAN which is
home to almost 400 million people," he said.
AARM is a forum to show capabilities of shooting among soldiers
of the ASEAN armies and this is an annual activity. This year's
AARM is the 14th and all the matches are carried out at the
shooting ranges of the Infantry Division I of the Indonesian
National Army's Reserve and Strategic Command in Cilodong,
West Java, taking place from September 1 to 8, 2004.
"The ten ASEAN Armies that get together in Cilodong prove
that they can carry out their duties to foster under-standing
and brotherhood among them," he said.As part of the holding
of the 14th AARM, the organizing conunittee will also hold
the 5th ASEAN Chiefs of Army Multilateral Meeting/ ACMM at
the Hilton Hotel on Septembet 7, 2004. The meeting is one
of a means and forums to maintain cooperation in effort to
build the feeling of safety and confidence among the ASEAN
member countries
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