Terrorism has come to an age when countries need to review their policies on the right to privacy, the encryption of communications, and freedom of expression, said Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan during the 10th Asia-Pacific Program for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO) on Monday.

The theme of this year’s APPSNO is National Security Revisited. The theme permits a review and revisit of many important domains discussed at previous editions of APPSNOs that have a continued impact on national security.

Balakrishnan said under the threats of terrorism, there must be a balance between freedoms, rights and national security, so that the security agencies are able to deter threats and aggression, and for appropriate political responses.

… Organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies‘ Centre of Excellence for National Security, APPSNO is specifically for senior government officials from the Asia-Pacific and beyond with responsibilities for national security matters.