ASEANAPOL - ASEAN Chiefs of Police

The visit to the ASEANAPOL Secretariat office in Kuala Lumpur by Mr. Akio Kuwahara on 23^rd January 2013 was arranged by Mr. Takashi Furuse, the First Secretary (Political) from the Embassy of Japan. Mr. Akio who is an Assistant Director from the International Counter Terrorism Division, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Department, Security Bureau, National Police Agency (NPA) Japan is also the project coordinator for Shared Database of Websites (SDWAN) related to terrorism.

According to Mr. Akio, SDWAN was proposed by NPA Japan to all ASEANAPOL member countries at the 29^th ASEANAPOL Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. The database was developed separately outside the e-ADS infrastructure. In order to make this database a success, the ADSTC (ASEANAPOL Database System Technical Committee) was suggested to work closely with NPA Japan on the proposed terrorist database project. All this while the website is under the care of NPA Japan; it is secured tightly by using SSL-VPN and is one of the most secured access routes on the internet. During the 32^nd ASEANAPOL Conference in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, a soft-launched of SDWAN wa s introduced to ASEANAPOL member countries and member countries was encouraged to make full use of the system.

As of today, all ASEANAPOL member countries are connected to each other in the SDWAN system. Through SDWAN, ASEANAPOL member countries could be provided with relevant and significant information regarding terrorism. The officer responsible for counter terrorism when access into the System may gather data such as movements and destinations information of international terrorists, security information about possible terrorist attacks, claiming responsibility of terrorist attacks by extremist groups or religious leaders and so forth. As law enforcement agency, intelligence and information on radical groups are important. We do not want another suicide bomber detonating in place of worship or a car bomb exploding in a busy street before we realize we have not done enough.

Mr. Akio urged all ASEANAPOL member countries to sincerely participate in SDWAN, a noble project for a more peaceful society and he further reiterate that the ultimate aim of SDWAN is to enhance cooperation in counter terrorism.

SDWAN - THE VISIT BY JAPAN EMBASSY AND NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY TO ASEANAPOL SECRETARIAT OFFICE