Europe offers Asean a lesson in the dangers of open borders
While the signing of the Facilitation of Cross-Border Transport of Passengers by Road Vehicles is a laudable boost to cooperation among Asean member states (“Asean to boost land, sea, air links in region”, Straits Times/ANN, October 13), there is a danger that it may pose a security threat.
Lessons should be learned from Europe’s Schengen Agreement, which allows the free movement of people across the borders of 26 countries.
While it facilitates trade and tourism, it also allows criminals to enter a country,
commit crimes and flee over the border
easily.
Two recent examples are the November 2015 Paris attacks, where the killers slipped into Paris from Belgium, and last December’s attack in Berlin, where the suspect managed to flee Germany and reach Italy via France.
We live in difficult times. It is manifestly hard to balance basic freedoms with the potential security threats those freedoms pose to innocent people.
I hope Asean will ensure that the most comprehensive security measures are in place as member states forge a single shipping and aviation market and make border crossings easier for buses.
Agnes Sng Hwee Lee
(Straits Times/ANN)
