| Hakim Hayat |
ARMED forces across the region must remain vigilant when countering threats during jungle warfare, said Brigadier General (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sahat, the Joint Force Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) yesterday.
He made these comments during the opening of the Regional Jungle Warfare Symposium (RJWS) 2018 at the RBAF Defence Academy in Kampong Tanah Jambu.
“We cannot assume that we are the masters of the jungle, as various reports have suggested that the jungle has become a good training ground for perpetrators,” he said, while stressing the necessity of inter-agency cooperation and an international approach to counter these security threats.
Held until April 20, the RJWS is jointly organised by RBAF and the British Forces Brunei (BFB), under the theme ‘Countering Current and Future Threats’.
Brigadier General (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Hamzah noted that this year’s symposium is aimed at examining a range of specific security threats and challenges.
“At the operational level, the symposium will develop a better understanding on how these threats can gain leverage from exploiting the jungle environment, including an infiltration of the Urban Fringe,” he said.
“At the practical or tactical level, this symposium will discuss on how the security forces’ capabilities may be enhanced to counter these potential threats and challenges, with a specific focus on information gathering and the intelligence cycle.”
The four-day symposium consists of keynote presentations and discussions, with topics ranging from potential security trends and threats to collective capacity-building for jungle-orientated operations.
Among the keynote speakers are Lieutenant General Danilo G Pamonag, Commander of the Southern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), on the topic ‘Commanding Operations in Tropical and Urban Fringe Environment – Lessons from Mindanao’; and Major General Duncan Capps, General Officer Commanding Regional Command of the British Armed Forces, on ‘Countering Irregular Activity in the Future Operating Environment – A British Perspective’.
Since the RJWS’ inception in 2017, with the aim of developing Brunei Darussalam as a Centre of Excellence for Jungle Warfare, the number of participating countries has increased from 11 to 14, which are Australia, Brazil, Brunei, France, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The RJWS also serves as a platform to build cooperation in the area of information exchange; and to promote future collaborations in training and multilateral exercises between participating countries.
Also present at yesterday’s opening ceremony was Richard Lindsay, the British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam.
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