14 Apr 2016
Mr President,
Singapore aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
No country can defeat the scourge of terrorism alone. Terrorism does not respect national or geographical boundaries. Today, social media is used by terrorists to spread radical ideas and promote violent extremism across borders.
Southeast Asia is not immune. Besides the January 2016 attacks in Jakarta, there are now over 1,000 Southeast Asians who have joined ISIS in Iraq and Syria, including a handful of Singaporeans. They are battle-hardened with combat skills, have violent tendencies, and extremist ideology. When they return, they pose a significant risk. They hope to overturn governments and establish a caliphate in Southeast Asia.
As an international hub and multi-religious society, Singapore takes the threat posed by ISIS and other extremist ideologies seriously. They are threats not only to physical safety, but to social harmony.
In our view, there are three key elements in an effective approach to addressing violent extremism and terrorism.
First, it is crucial to build national resilience. Inclusive economic development, good governance, and political and social stability are a critical starting point in our approach.
On top of this foundation, we also need to promote tolerance and mutual understanding. Singapore works closely with religious and community leaders to encourage dialogue and counter the spread of extreme exclusivist ideologies. We have put in place initiatives such as Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles, and other community engagement programmes to build social trust. Our goal is to build a strong web of trust among our different racial and religious groups, so that there is greater community resilience to deal with "the day after" a major incident.
For those led astray, Singapore has emphasized rehabilitation and reintegration. In 2003, a Religious Rehabilitation Group was formed by respected religious teachers and scholars to counsel detained extremists and correct erroneous religious teaching.
Further, we continue to educate Singaporeans on the dangers of online threats to security and social harmony. Increasingly, social media enables us to live in fragmented echo chambers, filled only with people who agree with us. It is vital to continually remind our people of the need for diversity and tolerance, both online and offline. Only then can we keep our community bonds strong.
Second, it is important to cut off financial resources for terrorism.
Singapore takes a serious approach to protecting the integrity of our financial system against money laundering and terrorism financing. We are an active member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and a founding member of the Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering.
Singapore has a strict legal and regulatory framework to safeguard against terrorism financing through our financial system. We have required financial institutions and relevant non-financial sectors to implement comprehensive monitoring and due diligence processes, in line with international standards. These controls are overseen by sectoral supervisors for compliance. The threat posed by ISIS requires that we remain vigilant, and continue to work closely with industry to detect and deter such illicit flows.
Third, effective international cooperation and the sharing of best practices will strengthen the first two pillars of our fight against terrorism.
Bilaterally, our security agencies have close cooperation with their counterparts.
Regionally, Singapore participates actively in counter-terrorism initiatives undertaken by ASEAN, the Asia-Europe Meeting, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. We believe that the international community needs such platforms to discuss and share our experiences. Working together will amplify our individual efforts.
This was why Singapore convened the East Asia Summit Symposium on Religious Rehabilitation and Social Re-integration in 2015. This year, we organised the 10th Asia Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers, and will host another workshop later in the year on "A Cross-Regional Perspective on Best Practices and Policies for Promoting Religious Tolerance and Strengthening Resilience".
Multilaterally, Singapore supports the UN’s effort to develop a framework for collective action to counter violent extremism. We co-sponsored Security Council resolution 2178 on arresting the international flow of terrorist fighters, and welcome this timely Open Debate convened by China.
Mr President,
Given the continuing threat posed by terrorist groups, we believe that a successful framework for collective action must take a holistic approach. It must address the key drivers of terrorism, including the propagation of extremist ideologies which distort religious concepts, and the role of social media in spreading and amplifying such ideologies. To be truly effective, the framework must take into account domestic and contextual factors and put national action plans at the heart of our collective endeavour to address the terrorism challenge.
Terrorism continues to be a serious threat to international peace and security. But if we work together, we can translate national resilience into global unity and strength. Singapore will remain committed to playing our part in the fight against international terrorism.
I thank you, Mr President.