Emerging Trends in India-ASEAN Cooperation in Fighting Terrorism

Abstract

A war that India has been fighting since the early 1980s has now spread to almost all parts of the world. The United States, which has been the latest victim of the scourge of terrorism, in terms of collateral damage (the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre), initiated the drive against terrorism from Afghanistan. For India, it was nothing new except that now there was a wider acceptance of its views that terrorism should be addressed with utmost seriousness and urgency. It was only a matter of time before the Southeast Asian countries, which were more preoccupied with economic and human security issues, were faced with a foe which respected no borders. Understanding the severity of the threat, the Association for the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) called upon all its members to rise to the occasion to meet the threat. The Association also felt that the nature of the terrorist threats was such that it required a concerted effort involving states not only of the region but also from outside. In this backdrop, India's role has become very vital, given its long experience in dealing with terrorism and the centrality of its position — bordering an ASEAN state (Myanmar joined ASEAN in 1997) on the east and the haven of several terrorist outfits and Al-Qaida cadres on the west.