International responses to terrorism : the limits and possibilities of legal control of terrorism by regional arrangement with particular reference to Asean

Abstract

The international community has yet to reach an international agreement on the suppression of terrorism. The problems of definition is recognized as a main factor for this failure. The definition of terrorism depends on one's political orientation. Thus, the oft-heard cliche 'one man's terrorism is another man's freedom fighter'. As the threat of terrorism is a real one an without an effective international convention, a regional convention offers a viable solution. This working paper analyses the issues surrounding international terrorism, in particular, the international legal response to terrorism, and the limits and possibilities of legal control of terrorism by regional arrangements such as those by the OAS, ECST, and most recently the OAU. The paper proposes that the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) should have a regional convention to suppress terrorism, in view of the ever-present threat of terrorism and the absence of an effective international convention.