BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Monday 25 May 2015 – The Second Ad-Hoc Working Group Meeting on Establishing a Direct Communications Link (DCL) in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Process convenes today at The Centrepoint Hotel, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam.
This four-day Meeting was officiated by Abu Sufian bin Haji Ali, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Defence Policy and Development), Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam.
This Meeting is a follow-up from the First Ad-Hoc Working Group Meeting which laid the initial foundation on the development phase on establishing a Direct Communciations Link in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM). As discussed in the prior meeting, the DCL initiative has been divided into three phases, with the first phase still undergoing implementation.
This week will oversee the continuation of discussions by the Working Group which will finalize the arrangements for the first phase, and paving the path forward for the subsequent phases. Experts in the field of communications and technology in the defence arena from all ten of the ASEAN Member States as well as the ASEAN Secretariat are in attendance at the Meeting to continue discussions on the technical, technological and security parameters of the DCL system.
Faced with such a complex maritime domain, this DCL initiative is aimed at providing a permanent, rapid, reliable and confidential means by which any two ASEAN Defence Ministers may communicate with each other to arrive at mutual decisions in handling crisis or emergency situations, in particular related to maritime security.
The goal of the initiative would not be to resolve underlying political issues, but to effectively manage and contain tensions in the event of a possible military encounter, to foster de-escalation, and to provide channel for initial quick reaction and assistance in emergency situations.
Coming together in the traditional ASEAN spirit of solidarity, it is hoped that the DCL initiative will come to fruition, with the intention to maintain the peace and maritime stability in this region, for the collective vision of the ASEAN Member States coming together as an ASEAN Community.