Sarrf launched to help curb terrorism, establish peace
A network of leading South Asian think tanks titled 'South Asian Regional Research Forum (Sarrf) was launched in Dhaka yesterday to find out the reasons behind terrorism and help establish peace and security in the region.
Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), an organisation researching on peace and security issues in South and South Asia, launched the network holding a press conference at the National Press Club in the city.
BIPSS President Major General (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman said initially all the Saarc member countries will join the forum that would be expanded later with the inclusion of Saarc observer countries.
He said BIPSS will organise a regional conference titled 'Counter terrorism strategy: In search of South Asian cooperation' in February 2009.
Muniruzzaman said South Asian region has been facing seriously the problems of terrorism, corruption, poverty and human trafficking.
Replying to a question he said there is no specific definition of terrorism, but the attack on Iraq by the USA was purely an aggression, not terrorism, since the USA made this attack without any mandate of the international community.
Muhammad Amir Rana, director of Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), Major General (retd) Dipankar Banerjee, director of Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), India, Nishchal Nath Pandey, secretary of South Asian Foundation (SAF), Nepal, Ranga Prasanna Kalansooriya of Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), Waliullah Rahmani, executive director of Kabul Centre for Strategic Studies (KCSS), Afghanistan, were present at the press conference.
The representatives of the six countries including Bangladesh said they would pass through Sarrf the findings of their studies on terrorism, corruption, poverty, human trafficking and their recommendations to the governments and policymakers of these countries to curb those and help establish peace and security in the region.
They said their countries have been facing terrorisms in different shapes violating the processes of establishing peace and securities there.
Dipankar Banerjee said the ways for curbing terrorisms in this region would be found out thorough studies.
Muhammad Amir Rana said very few people of Pakistan are now supporting religious fundamentalist groups involved in terrorism.
Nishchal Nath Pandey said traditional political system has been changed due to terrorism in Nepal.
A press release of BIPSS presented at the press conference said this region has a long history of conflict, war and terrorism due to political instability, rampant corruption and civil conflict.
Besides the major conflict in the region between India and Pakistan, other countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka are the victims of terrorism, it said.
"In the backdrop of growing terrorist activities in South Asia, the scope of active collaboration and mutual assistance to study terrorism is imperative to curb terror threats in this region," the press release added.
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