http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/printpage/0,5942,21046732,00.html
SBY's retreat another blow for summit a.. Emma-Kate Symons, Cebu City b.. January 12, 2007 INDONESIAN President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, under pressure after a series of domestic disasters, will skip Monday's East Asia leaders' summit to return to Jakarta. a.. Audio: ASEAN preview Dr Yudhoyono will still attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit on Saturday but will leave The Philippines on Sunday. His early departure is disappointing for the East Asia grouping and for John Howard, given Indonesia's strategic importance to Australia and the country's central role in the fight against regional terrorism. Leaders of 16 Asian and Pacific nations are forging ahead with the ASEAN summit in Cebu City despite a wave of terrorist bombings in the southern Philippines that has killed seven and wounded 18. On Wednesday, the opening day of the ASEAN summit, three bombs exploded in the troubled province of Mindanao. Muslim separatists and Islamist terror groups frequently attack civilians in Christian-dominated areas there, most recently in October. The attacks were linked by police and intelligence officials to al-Qa'ida sympathisers suspected to be members of local terrorist outfit Abu Sayyaf or Indonesian allies from Jemaah Islamiah. Investigators offered no comment yesterday on whether the bombs were the work of fugitive Bali bombers Dulmatin and Omar Patek, believed to be hiding out in Sulu. The attacks were a blow to President Gloria Arroyo and the ASEAN organisers, who had already cancelled the original summit last month after the US, Australia, Britain and Japan warned of terrorist attacks. But Ms Arroyo yesterday received the backing of Dr Yudhoyono and Mr Howard, who confirmed he would still fly in on Sunday for the East Asia meetings. The East Asia summit comprises the 10 ASEAN nations of The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Brunei, plus Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. Trade Minister Warren Truss will attend the summit today. ASEAN organisers insisted yesterday the attacks were "isolated incidents" that had occurred "hundreds of miles away" from the summit. ASEAN aims to sign an anti-terrorism convention before the end of the summit. Australia is interested in the proposed free trade deal between the ASEAN bloc, Australia and New Zealand.
