Asean Armies Come Together To Share Knowledge
By Lyna Mohammad

Bandar Seri Begawan - The I5th Asean Armies Rifle Meet (AARM) was held yesterday at the Binturan Shooting Range. The meet is held annually to foster greater understanding of the Southeast Asian region and to enable Asean armies to exchange professional knowledge in military skills.

The meet is also aimed at allowing the armies to interact socially amongst each other to strengthen bonds and friendships.

In his opening speech, the Chief Staff of Royal Brunei Land Forces, Lt Col Hj Harith Hj Abd Karim, said the importance of establishing a solid bond is to maintain and safeguard the harmony and security of respective countries, whilst facing the threat of global terrorism. The outcome of the professional meet will positively contribute towards fostering solidarity, friendship and comradeship.

He added that strong cooperation and exchange of information could totally stamp out terrorism, bring about stability within the Asean region and such cooperation is important to help during relief mission should any major disaster strikes.

The helping hand through cooperation and providing humanitarian and necessary aid to ease the sufferings of the affected people, which develop a sense of friendship, are what the AARM advocates. In the long term, it will help connect its people and cultures towards improving regional cooperation.

This year marks the third time that Brunei Darussalam is hosting the AARM since its inception in 1991 and it is even a greater challenge to host this meet back-to-back with the Brunei International Skills-at-Arms Meet (BISAM) 2005.

Since its establishment, only six Asean armies from Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines took part but the following meets have seen the participation of armies from the remaining four countries namely Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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