Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Would the minister inform the House of recent counterterrorism developments in the Philippines?

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Boothby for his question and for his interest. I think it is important, in the context of the so-called struggle against terrorism, that the House is familiar with the success in South-East Asia in that struggle against terrorism. The Indonesian government, supported by Australia, the United States and others, has been very effective in its work against terrorism. It is heartening that the Philippines has started to get some real results in the last few months. There have been some significant successes.

As a result of sustained military pressure in the Philippines since 1 August, the Philippines military have killed Abu Sayyaf group leaders, one of whom was responsible for the so-called St Valentine’s Day bombings in 2005 and another who was responsible for the 2004 superferry attack which killed 120 people. The military have disrupted and closed Jemaah Islamiah terrorist training camps in the Philippines, they have reduced overall terrorist numbers and they have contained key Jemaah Islamiah personalities, such as one of the Bali bombers—a man called Dulmatin—on the island of Jolo.

The point I make is that the government of the Philippines is now really starting to get results. They froze significant al-Qaeda linked bank accounts in December of last year, and in October they seized significant quantities of ammonium nitrate which had been smuggled in. Australia is working closely with the Philippines in this respect. We are spending around $10 million on counterterrorism activities in the Philippines which focus very much on training, in particular assisting with police training, and also the provision of appropriate and relevant equipment. Let me add that the United States also plays a crucially important role in assisting the Philippines.

We are seeing real results in the struggle against terrorism in South-East Asia, specifically in Indonesia and certainly in Singapore and Malaysia, and now also in the Philippines. It is an illustration not just of the success of the policies and the determination of those governments but also of the role that countries like Australia, the United States and some of the European countries play in assisting that struggle against terrorism.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.