Precious lives could have been saved if government agencies and ministries within the region had shared and exchanged quality intelligence during the May 2017 siege of Marawi in the Philippines.

The incident could have been prevented or even pre-empted, said Indonesia’s Defence Minister, General (Ret) Ryamizard Ryacudu, in his keynote address on Thursday (Oct 4) at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Southeast Asia Counter-Terrorism Symposium: A Collective Approach.

“The siege of Marawi demonstrated that our region was unprepared for the current and emerging wave of terrorism,” said the general.

… The Defence Minister was one of four guest speakers at the event organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS). The two-day symposium at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel was organised as part of Singapore’s Asean chairmanship.

… Still, returning ISIS fighters continue to be one of the current concerns, said Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, executive deputy chairman of RSIS.

Unlike Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiah, ISIS has capitalised on the use of cyberspace to spread its violent message.

“ISIS operatives, sympathisers, fanboys and fangirls have benefited greatly from use of the darker corners of the Internet,” Mr Ong said during his opening remarks.