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Bruneians Urged To Study In USA
By Grace Jiu

Bandar Seri Begawan – The United States has been busy wooing Brunei students to study in the US. Coming close on the heels of State Department official, Eric John, who was keen to see more Bruneians studying at US universities, US Admiral (Adm) William J Fallon, who is currently on a familiarisation trip to Brunei, said first on his agenda was to tell officials to try take advantage of educational opportunities in the US and to send more people to their schools to graduate.

The recommendation of general educational and tactical training for Brunei's defence personnel was my first proposal, which was well received and details are being worked out to make it happen, the US Admiral told the Bulletin in an interview yesterday.

In the defence line, there are several excellent higher education and professional education opportunities to learn about strategic issues, management techniques and operational exchanges, he said and highlighted the scope for exchanges in training between both nations. He added there are many good universities in the US and encouraged more Bruneians to pursue their studies in the US.

Adm Fallon currently serves as the Commander of US Pacific Command and has control over all US forces in the west coast of the US through the Asia Pacific.

He also works closely with US embassies in 43 different countries to ensure coordination of their activities and helps provide stability and security.

"It's important because fundamentally the most significant fact that I have learnt on the job is that it's not possible to have people growing in their personal lives, hence their well being, to see that they enjoy economic benefits unless there's stability and peace," he said about his job.

He said that from the military standpoint, they can provide this background to enable countries to grow and it is possible for people to be in a better world with security and that's what they are trying to do, citing Taiwan and South Korea as examples.

"This visit is because Brunei is a country in the region that is economically very advanced and provides significant energy resources to developing countries and to other countries in Asia. It's for me to see first hand what your country is like, to get to know the people, understand what the leaders are thinking about and to have myy own first hand impressions which is very important and to make relationships. When there is a problem somewhere it's much easier to pick up the telephone and talk to somebody you already know," Adm Fallon said on the importance of enhancing bilateral ties between the US and Brunei.

He said both nations have many of the same concerns, and that people are very interested in stability in the region. Brunei too wants to see continued American presence in this area with the value the US provides for security in the region. Issues discussed during his time here included terrorist threats, rise of China and the impact it has on all of Asia, and the necessity to have good relations with the neighbourhood, and working together.

He highly values countries in the region working together, and underscored the immense importance and relevance of bilateral, and more importantly, multilateral relations.

He also said that Brunei's military has the right focus; its size is appropriate for its internal and external security and is keeping pace with the world changes. He thinks Brunei's leadership is focused on the right things and added that priorities military-wise are education, communication to ensure interoperability and good relationships.

On terrorism in Southeast Asia, he said that it is focused in the areas of Southern Philippines, and the eastern part of Malaysia including north eastern Indonesia around Sulawesi Sea.

The Sulawesi Sea has attracted a lot of bad guys for different reasons. Primarily it is a difficult terrain with many hundreds of thousands of small islands difficult for police to patrol. The lack of capacity to secure their owni orders and the long term grievances have led to extremist groups taking advantage of this insecurity to train people to be bombers and attack others. He said the US is working on this with different countries.

On the Moro issue, he said for the past year MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) has been in peace talks with the Philippines government, helped by Malaysia and Brunei in monitoring activities and facilitating discussions to end the conflict there. He said the MILF and the Philippine government are close to signing a peace agreement and they have high expectations that MILF, which has been giving protection to some of the more radical extremists, will stop protecting them.

"I see this happening already, activities are lessening and there have been good developments. Brunei has a hand in this," Adm Fallon said on the positive developments in Mindanao.

About his meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, he said the president wants to move against terrorism and lot of concerted and aggressive actions are being seen in Indonesia and Malaysia.

"We spend a lot of time working with the governments in the area to help them move against these people," Adm Fallon said of terrorists. Adm Fallon arrived in Brunei February 28 and is scheduled to leave today for the Philippines to thank the US forces there for their rescue efforts last week in the mudslide catastrophe.

He took an aerial view of Brunei on board a helicopter yesterday. He said his impressions of his short stay in the Sultanate as warm with good hospitality. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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