By: Ajeng Mufadillah)*
President Joko Widodo said cross-border crime such as terrorism and drug smuggling has become a challenge for ASEAN countries to eradicate it together.
In his speech during the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN at the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta on Friday, the President revealed that the threat of terrorism is a real threat. The terrorism attack in Marawi is a call for us that needs immediate response. For that we must unite to raise cooperation, strengthen the synergy to fight terrorism.
According to the President, the political and security situation in the region becomes a challenge for ASEAN to be able to overcome it through strengthening cooperation.
In response to the problem, Indonesia has initiated a trilateral meeting with the Philippines and Malaysia in Manila on June 22, 2017 to strengthen cooperation on combating terrorism.
In addition, Indonesia also initiated regional meetings with Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and the Philippines in Manado on 29 June 2017. In addition to terrorism, Jokowi stressed the importance of cooperation in the field of drug smuggling eradication, which is also a cross-border crime.
The president said that we must declare war on drugs and drugs. We do not want the ASEAN youth to lose its future because of this drugs. For that there is no other way except to unite to save ASEAN from drugs and drugs. Then the President explained that ASEAN should also maintain the centrality in the middle of the struggle for the influence of big countries in Southeast Asia and at the global level.
Jokowi said that only with unity, ASEAN will be able to maintain its centrality, realize the ideals together. Only by united, ASEAN will be able to determine its own future, without having to be dictated by the interests of the big countries.
Head of State said the age of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN which has reached 50 years proves a proud togetherness.
In preventing terrorism and drugs, it is certainly not just the government that should take part to prevent and overcome it, but all the people should also be involved in the effort, especially the young women. This is because the young generation who will be the next generation of this nation at the same time become the spearhead to do prevention and eradication of both problems, so as not to cause the occurrence of acts of abuse of authority. The most striking thing to be able to take a role in overcoming this problem is the younger generation, just like the students who are the agent of change of this nation. In addition to children who are still in the stage of personal formation that requires special guidance from parents of course so that later not dragged in the understanding of drugs and acts of terrorism.
)* The author is CIDISS Contributor