International
Shanghai group to set up anti-terrorism forum
By Amit Baruah
SINGAPORE, JAN. 8. The China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), whose Foreign Ministers met in Beijing yesterday, has made it clear that it does not favour the arbitrary expansion of military action beyond Afghanistan.
The SCO, which includes Russia, Kazakhastan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, said in a statement that they would take steps to set up an anti-terrorism organisation in Bishkek, Kyrgystan.
There is little doubt that the SCO, an update of the original ``Shanghai Five'', is marginal to the ongoing U.S.-led anti-terrorist operations in Afghanistan. Along with Russia, some Central Asian States which are part of the SCO, have backed the U.S. military operations to the hilt.
This post-Sept. 11 development has not gone unnoticed in China, which launched the SCO with much fanfare on June 15 last year. In fact, China is known to have concerns about the long-term presence of the United States in Afghanistan.
In his remarks to the Foreign Ministers, the Chinese President, Jiang Zemin, made it clear that the six countries in the SCO should make greater efforts in safeguarding their common security.
According to the official People's Daily, newspaper, Mr. Jiang stressed that the key to the role of the SCO was ``self-construction'', unity and cooperation among members, quickly working out the organisation's constitution and improving cooperation and operational mechanisms.
Mr. Jiang's remarks could be interpreted as concern about the direction in which the SCO is headed. There is little doubt that the U.S. and its military operations have detracted from the projected role of the SCO in fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism.
In their statement, the SCO Foreign Ministers stated that the collapse of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan did not mean that international terrorist organisations had disappeared forever.
The statement said the anti-terrorism campaign should be carried out at the global, regional and national levels and not be ``prejudiced'' or have double standards.
Reiterating the position that the United Nations and the Security Council should play a leading role in the anti- terrorist operation, the statement said the scope of military action should not be expanded arbitrarily, the operation should not lead to intervention in the internal affairs of any nation and should safeguard long-term regional and world peace.
The Ministers took the view that there was an urgent need for the international community to enter into agreements on international terrorism, given the current situation. They should also reach agreement on the prevention of possible nuclear- related terrorist acts.
According to the People's Daily, in his speech, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Tang Jiaxuan, said the SCO must maintain close coordination on Afghanistan and enhance cooperation in combating ``East Turkestan'', Chechen and Islamist terrorists in Uzbekistan.
China, which had been wary of bringing too much attention to its separatist problems in Xingjiang province, today openly talks about the ``East Turkestan'' terrorist problem and wants the international community to show greater understanding on the issue.
There is little doubt that the SCO's current focus is solely on anti-terrorism efforts and Beijing is interested in retaining and promoting that focus.
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