Six Southeast Asian nations agree intelligence-sharing pact to confront Islamist militants, setting aside historic distrust
The ‘Our Eyes’ intelligence network was inspired by the Five Eyes intelligence pact between the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada
Six Southeast Asian nations launched an intelligence pact on Thursday aimed at combating Islamist militants and improving cooperation on security threats, overcoming what analysts described as a high level of distrust.
Under the “Our Eyes” initiative, senior defence officials will meet every two weeks to swap information on militant groups and develop a common database of violent extremists.
The intelligence sharing arrangement was agreed after insurgents aligned to Islamic State laid siege to the southern Philippine city of Marawi last year.
Dozens of foreigners – most notably Indonesians and Malaysians – were among hundreds of militants who seized large parts of Marawi and engaged in a ferocious battle with Philippine forces that left much of the city in ruins and more than 1,100 people dead, according to government figures.
Some of the foreign fighters are believed to have travelled to Marawi via the porous maritime borders of the Sulu Sea, next to Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
This is something that seems so simple, but the effect is extraordinary
“This is something that seems so simple, but the effect is extraordinary,” said Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu at the “soft launch” in Bali.