D

ozens of youths from ASEAN countries are participating in a two-day camp in Jakarta, learning how to fight terrorism and crossborder crimes in an effort to maintain stability and security in the region.

In the USASEAN TechCamp forum, which was started on Wednesday, the 37 youths studied how to conduct effective issue-based campaigns and find solutions for emerging problems in their home countries from experts in communications and digital security.

Daniel Shields, the charge d’affaires of the United States Mission to ASEAN, which supported the forum, said addressing transnational crime and security has gained momentum in US-ASEAN relations, emphasizing the necessity to apply technological solutions to tackle those problems.

“The criminals have been thinking of transnational crimes for a long time and the challenge is for the government, activists and young people to forge international networks so they can be effective in fighting those crimes,” Shields said on the sidelines of the event.

Considering the expansion of transnational crimes and its pervasive nature, he said, ASEAN countries would have to strengthen their cooperation among themselves.

Young people’s involvement, he said, could provide a spirit of enthusiasm for the fight against transnational crimes.

Recent data released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that 4 million migrants live in Thailand with 90 percent of them coming from neighboring countries. Many of these migrants enter the country through illegal border crossings and transnational crime has made them vulnerable to deception, violence and exploitation.

The forum’s participant, Suchaya Mokkhasen, a special case officer at Thailand’s Department of Special Investigations, said Wednesday that there were times when the government had struggled to raise public awareness of changes of regulations and help the public to adapt to them.

“With the help of technology and digital advertising we hope we can translate it [policy] into practice,” she told The Jakarta Post, saying she hoped she could help build a bridge between the government, the private sector and the public.

Another participant from Singapore, Khairil Sianipar, said he believes that even though his country was a relatively safe place, the threat of global crime and terrorism might emerge any time as such incidents have been seen in neighboring countries.

Citing a bomb attack that took place in Sarinah, Central Jakarta, in January 2016, Khairil said it might be “just a matter of when in Singapore.” He said it was critical to preserve tolerance in society.

“The relationship between people is quite OK now, but my question is if an attack happens, how would it impact society?” Khairil asked. “We need to educate people.”