MANILA, Philippines—Three Southeast Asian nations under threat from Islamic State-linked militants launched joint maritime patrols in an effort to stop a conflict in the southern Philippines from spreading to other parts of the region.

The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia plan to police the Sulu and Celebes Seas, a vast area prone to piracy and kidnappings.

Security officials in Southeast Asia have long feared that Islamic... </s> [TARAKAN, Indonesia] Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines began joint naval patrols in their region Monday as threats from extremist groups increase.

The "trilateral coordinated maritime patrol" was launched amid continuing battles between Philippine troops and Islamist gunmen loyal to the Islamic State group, who have seized part of the city of Marawi in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

Indonesia's military chief Gatot Nurmantyo said the patrols are timely as his country tries to stop any militants from Marawi escaping to Indonesia while posing as refugees.

The three neighbours agreed in May 2016 to conduct the joint patrols and share intelligence, after a series of kidnaps of foreigners by the Abu Sayyaf, an Islamist group based mainly in the southernmost Philippine islands who beheaded several victims after ransoms were not paid.

"The series of piracy attacks accompanied by kidnappings that occured frequently in the Sulu (Sea) waters have had a huge security impact on surrounding coastal countries ... and have pushed us to conduct a coordinated patrol among three countries," said Gen Nurmantyo when the joint patrol was launched at the Indonesian island of Tarakan off Borneo island.

The three countries also set up maritime command centres - in Tarakan for Indonesia, Tawau for Malaysia and Bongao for the Philippines - to collect information and coordinate the patrols.

This will enable the closest ship from any nation to be sent to answer distress calls and allow for hot pursuit, Gen Nurmantyo said.

The launch was attended by the three countries' defence ministers and marked by an Indonesian navy sail-past and a fly-past of Sukhoi fighter jets. </s> NAVAL ASSETS. A chopper lands on BRP Davao del Sur, a Multi-purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) in a demo during the anniversary of the Philippine Navy at Sasa Wharf in Davao City on May 31, 2017. Photo by Manman Dejeto/Rappler

TARAKAN, Indonesia – Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines began joint naval patrols in their region Monday, June 19, as threats from extremist groups increase.

The "trilateral coordinated maritime patrol" was launched amid continuing battles between Philippine troops and terrorists loyal to the Islamic State (ISIS) group, who have seized part of the city of Marawi in Mindanao.

Indonesia's military chief Gatot Nurmantyo said the patrols are timely as his country tries to stop any militants from Marawi escaping to Indonesia while posing as refugees.

The 3 neighbors agreed in May 2016 to conduct the joint patrols and share intelligence, after a series of kidnaps of foreigners by the Abu Sayyaf, an terror group based mainly in the southernmost Philippine islands who beheaded several victims after ransoms were not paid.

"The series of piracy attacks accompanied by kidnappings that occurred frequently in the Sulu (Sea) waters have had a huge security impact on surrounding coastal countries ... and have pushed us to conduct a coordinated patrol among three countries," said Nurmantyo when the joint patrol was launched at the Indonesian island of Tarakan off Borneo island.

The 3 countries also set up maritime command centers – in Tarakan for Indonesia, Tawau for Malaysia and Bongao for the Philippines – to collect information and coordinate the patrols.

This will enable the closest ship from any nation to be sent to answer distress calls and allow for hot pursuit, Nurmantyo said.

The launch was attended by the 3 countries' defense ministers and marked by an Indonesian navy sail-past and a fly-past of Sukhoi fighter jets. – Rappler.com </s> (CNN) Three Southeast Asian nations have started trilateral naval patrols in the first concrete sign of cooperation against ISIS-inspired terror groups operating in the region.

The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia will begin joint patrols and information-sharing to curb the influence of local Islamist terror groups, according to a joint statement released by the three governments.

Southeast Asian terror cells aligned with the Iraq- and Syria-based group have been emboldened in recent years, culminating in a month-long battle for the city of Marawi on Mindanao island in the southern Philippines

The Trilateral Maritime Patrol Indomalphi -- whose name incorporates elements of each of the three countries' names -- was "initiated and implemented" by the governments of the "three in order to face the security challenges associated with each country's border waters," according to the statement.

The start of the initiative was marked with a ceremony aboard an Indonesian naval vessel in the Javanese province of North Kalimantan Monday, attended by the defense ministers of the three countries, alongside each nation's armed forces commander.

"The Trilateral Maritime Patrol Indomalphi is a concrete step taken by the three countries ... in maintaining stability in the region in the face of non-traditional real threats such as piracy, kidnapping, terrorism and other transnational crimes in regional waters," the statement said.

To implement the increased intelligence sharing and joint patrols, there will be a Maritime Command Center (MCC) in each nation -- Tarakan in Indonesia, Tawau in Malaysia and Bongao in the Philippines. The maritime patrols will also include air and land elements.

Chief among the issues that the Southeast Asian nations face is the rising threat of local terror groups from the three countries, who use the channels and inlets of the nations' coastlines on the Sulu Sea to move weapons, cash and personnel between the Indonesian island of Java, Malaysia's Sabah province and the Philippines' Mindanao, a large southern island with a large Muslim population and a long history of religiously-motivated separatism.

Kidnappings, especially by Mindanao-based militants of Indonesian nationals, has also been a key issue in moving the initiative forward.

In addition to dozens of Indonesians, mainly fishermen and seamen, kidnapped in the past few years, the Sulu-based faction of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) recently kidnapped two Canadians, a Norwegian and a Philippines national from a marina in the southern Philippines.

"This is a warning so we can be ready to address this together because there are sleeper cells that are in each of our countries," Indonesian military chief Gen. Gatot Murmatyo said at the ceremony.

"With this trilateral cooperation it will ease the exchange of information because the speed and accuracy of information is very much needed to put in place measures and anticipate the possible escape of (militants) out of Marawi."

Despite the three nations' increasing issues with ISIS-inspired terrorism and their long unguarded coastlines bordering the Sulu Sea, long used for smuggling routes, active cooperation between the countries' governments has been lacking, Sidney Jones, director of the Institute for Policy and Analysis of Conflict told CNN last week.

"Part of the problem is that borders in this archipelago are extremely porous. It's still possible to get in by boat. All three countries -- Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines -- are trying to strengthen their border controls and their immigration checks," the Jakarta-based regional terrorism expert said.

"One thing that's needed is a common watch list so that all three countries are operating from the same information about who may be dangerous. But regional cooperation is improving on that." </s> Southeast Asian neighbours Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines launched co-ordinated maritime patrols on Monday to intensify their fight against Islamic militants who have laid siege to a southern Philippine city. Defence ministers and military chiefs from the three countries launched the patrols in the Indonesian city of Tarakan in northern Borneo, just across the border from Sabah, Malaysia.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Daily Courier. </s> On Monday, after much anticipation and several delays, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines finally jointly and publicly launched trilateral patrols in Tarakan, Indonesia. The move is yet another sign of progress for an indigenous minilateral initiative that holds promise in spite of the lingering challenges it faces.

As I have noted before, the three Southeast Asian states had pledged to undertake trilateral patrols in the Sulu-Sulawesi seas – long a hub for transnational organized crime and terrorist threats – following a meeting in Bali last August. (See: “Confronting Threats in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas: Opportunities and Challenges”).

The move was hailed as an example of an indigenous, minilateral security arrangement within Southeast Asia, following the Malacca Strait Sea Patrols (MSSP) that had been set up by in the 2000s initially involving Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and later Thailand too.

Yet despite some progress, fully and publicly operationalizing the patrols has been unsurprisingly slow to take off due to several reasons, ranging from the very threats that the patrols are aiming to mitigate to more mundane rationales like the logistics of getting the ministers of the countries together and specifics related to the launching process itself (See: “Trilateral Patrols in the Sulu Sea: Still Coming Soon?”).

On Monday, the three countries announced the launching of the Trilateral Maritime Patrol (TMP) “Indomalphi” – a rather unwieldy name, which was adopted because it incorporates the beginning part of each of the three countries’ names – in Tarakan. The launch saw a series of military maneuvers involving ships and aircraft, a ceremony on board an Indonesian naval vessel attended by all three defense ministers and military chiefs, and a series of addresses and statements.

With the region consumed by the growing threat posed by the Islamic State in the southern Philippines as evidenced by the Marawi conflict over the past few weeks, all three sides were keen to highlight the arrangement’s significance in not just the Sulu Sea, but in the context of the terrorism challenge in Southeast Asia more broadly.

In terms of the future outlook for TMP beyond the launch, the general architecture has already been laid out, with a network of naval patrols and rotational air patrols supported by arrangements between the countries including on information-sharing and communications as well as three Maritime Command Centers (MCCs) in Tarakan, Tawau, and Bongao and a joint operations center. More collaboration is expected to further boost familiarization of personnel, assets, and process.

But as I noted recently, officials from the three sides have also wisely left room open for the initiative to broaden in terms of its scope and even membership given both the future potential and lingering challenges (See: “Sulu Sea Trilateral Patrols in the Spotlight at 2017 Shangri-La Dialogue”). The presence of Singapore and Brunei as observers was notable in this respect. The former’s involvement was particularly significant because of its membership in the MSSP in the 2000s as well as its Information Fusion Center (IFC) in Changi Naval Base, which, since its establishment in 2009, has become a crucial hub for strengthening multinational and interagency cooperation to counter a range of maritime security threats. </s> Seventeen of the 25-person crew were rescued by the Philippines Coast Guard, which then pursued the attackers, Reuters reports. Those abducted were Indonesian, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Dutch, German and Japanese nationals.

Baguan Island is in the island province of Tawi-Tawi, near the stronghold of the small but violent Abu Sayyaf militant group, which is known for piracy and kidnapping, as well as murdering its captives if ransom demands are not met. Abu Sayyaf is thought to have been holding 27 hostages before the most recent attack.

The southern Philippines is becoming known for such attacks, and maritime officials have warned that the area is in danger of becoming a "Somalia-type" zone if lawlessness in its waters cannot be curbed.

"The Sulu/Celebes area is the world's fastest growing piracy hotspot, with violent attacks on commercial vessels and their crews, and an increasingly successful kidnap and ransom business model," Gerry Northwood, chief operating officer at armed guard company Maritime Asset Security and Training (MAST), told Voice of America last month.

But diverting around the deep-water Sibutu Passage between Malaysia's Sabah state and the Sulu Sea of the southern Philippines, the fastest route between Australia and East Asia's big manufacturers, would cost a pretty penny and cause transport disruptions on an international scale, as many thousands of ships use it every year.

"If shipowners will skirt that area just to avoid kidnap at sea activities by these terrorists, for sure, it will have an additional cost," Philippine Coast Guard chief Commodore Joel Garcia told AFP.

"It's not just the concern of the Philippines or Indonesia and Malaysia, but of the international shipping community."

Philippines Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said earlier this month that the country planned to ask both China and the US to help defend the passage, including holding joint exercises in its waters.

The US military has been deployed for more than a decade in the southern Philippines to contain Abu Sayyaf. </s> In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, members of the Philippine Coast Guard, left, approach the almost sunken fishing boat of Filipino fishermen who were killed by suspected pirates in waters near Zamboanga City, southern Philippines Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. Several Filipino fishermen were killed after a group of suspected pirates boarded a fishing boat in southern Philippine waters and strafed the crew, officials said Tuesday. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP) In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, members of the Philippine Coast Guard, left, approach the almost sunken fishing boat of Filipino fishermen who were killed by suspected pirates in waters near Zamboanga City, southern Philippines Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. Several Filipino fishermen were killed after a group of suspected pirates boarded a fishing boat in southern Philippine waters and strafed the crew, officials said Tuesday. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

Gunmen in southern Philippine waters killed one crewman of a Vietnamese vessel and abducted seven in what appeared to be the latest attack by pirates in the area, the Philippine coastguard said on Monday. Coastguard and marine soldiers rescued 17 Vietnamese who were part of the 25-man crew of MV Giang Hai, which was attacked on Sunday evening near Baguan Island in Tawi-Tawi, an area close to the stronghold of the notorious Abu Sayyaf militant group.

Watch What Else Is Making News

An investigation was underway and the coastguard had launched a pursuit in coordination with the military and police, said coastguard spokesman Commander Armand Balilo. Well armed and equipped with fast boats and high-tech navigation devices, the Abu Sayyaf is a stubborn problem for the Philippine military, which has failed to curtail piracy and kidnappings in the area, despite major troop deployments in the in the Sulu Archipelago.

The Islamic State-linked group has been involved in frequent acts of piracy and has beheaded captives when ransom demands have not been met. Before the latest attack, the militants were holding 27 hostages, according to a tally of reports about kidnappings and a few releases.

The captives are Indonesian, Malaysian and Vietnamese seamen, as well as Filipinos, a Dutchman, a German and a Japanese national. A surge in piracy off parts of the Philippines is forcing ship-owners to divert vessels through other waters, pushing up costs and shipping times. President Rodrigo Duterte said last month he had asked China for help in the fight against the militants by sending ships to patrol the dangerous waters. </s> Ryamizard added that the defense pact can be further strengthened through enhanced cooperation in land and air patrols with other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

“Preserving ocean security in Asean is the responsibility of member countries. I’m certain we can all preserve the security and sovereignty of our respective territories,” Ryamizard said.

The defense minister officiated the joint sea patrols with Malaysian Defense Minister Dato Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and Philippine Defense Minister Delvin Lorenzana.

The three Southeast Asian nations also inaugurated a military command center in Tarakan, North Kalimantan, to serve as a center for intelligence exchanges. Similar centers will be built in Tawau, Malaysia, and Bongao, the Philippines.

“We hope that the establishment of the military command centers in the three countries will minimize the incidents that may occur in the territorial waters that are within the borders of our three countries,” Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo said.

The inauguration was also attended by the chief of the Malaysian army, Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi, and Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) chief of staff Eduardo M. Año.

According to Gatot, the centers are a follow-up from a joint declaration by participating nations in May 2016 in Yogyakarta, which aimed to increase security in the Sulu Sea and surrounding areas in a show of solidarity between the neighboring countries.

The three Southeast Asian countries agreed to implement strategic preventive methods to meet security demands in the region, including by conducting coordinated sea patrols, providing immediate rescue to vessels in emergency situations and establishing a communication network to simplify coordination in emergencies.
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines begin joint patrols in the pirate havens within the Celebes and Sulu Seas.