The prime minister of Singapore says the Islamic State still poses “very real” threats to the ASEAN region, despite the group’s defeat in the Middle East.

In an opening address at a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong said, “Southeast Asia is at peace, but these threats are very real.”  

The prime minister warned that the region’s embrace of technology also makes it especially vulnerable.  

“We need to be resilient to both conventional threats, and also non-conventional threats such as terrorism and cyberattacks,” the prime minister said.

Lee also welcomed the easing of tensions between the two Koreas.  “It’s a positive step.  It’s better than firing missiles and testing bombs…”  

In another matter, Lee said the summit agreed to encourage Myanmar and Bangladesh to return refugees to their homes “in a safe, secure and dignified way, without undue delay.”

ASEAN is a regional group that promotes economic, political and security cooperation among its 10 members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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