Speech by Senior Minister of State for Defence, Mr Heng Chee How, for the ADMM-Plus Chemical, Biological and Radiological Conference at Shangri-La Hotel

United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Ms Izumi Nakamitsu, distinguished speakers, ladies and gentlemen. A very good morning everyone and a warm welcome to the ADMM-Plus Chemical, Biological and Radiological (CBR) Conference.

The ADMM and ADMM-Plus were established in 2006 and 2010 respectively as the key regional platforms for strategic dialogue and practical cooperation for defence. The scope of security threats that the ADMM and ADMM-Plus have had to deal with have evolved since then, from security challenges such as maritime security, peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, to newer, non-traditional ones such as CBR attacks by non-State actors and terrorist groups.

In 2018, the ASEAN Defence Ministers recognised the need to strengthen regional counter-terrorism preparedness and cooperation against CBR threats. Thus, the Network of ASEAN CBR Defence Experts was established, and activities to build up the ADMM's capacity to respond to CBR incidents have been organised since 2019. In this regard, today's conference has been a few years in the making. I hope that we can build upon this strong base of ASEAN cooperation to strengthen the whole region's resilience against CBR threats and serve as a good example of the benefits of multilateral cooperation against our common security challenges. I am glad to see that the conference has received your strong support, with delegations from ADMM-Plus countries and international organisations joining us both in-person and virtually.

The Risk of CBR Terrorism

CBR threats cannot be addressed by any one country acting alone. Such threats are transborder and transnational. They have grave implications for international peace and security. Sophisticated CBR agents can be highly lethal and cause mass casualties while being difficult to detect and to contain. A major CBR terrorist attack in our region would be amongst our worst fears.

Several well-known CBR terror attacks in the past few decades come to mind. In 1995 the Tokyo subway sarin attack, perpetrated by members of the cult movement Aum Shinrikyo, left 13 dead, severely injuring 50, and caused temporary vision problems for nearly a thousand others. In 2001 anthrax attacks in the US took place over several weeks, just a week after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Letters containing powdered anthrax spores were mailed to several addresses. Five people died and 17 were infected, and it took nearly eight years before the lone-wolf perpetrator was identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and then nearly 10 years before they were able to conclusively close the case.

While ASEAN has been fortunate not to have experienced these kinds of mass-casualty CBR attacks in our region, at least so far, the threat is very real. We know for a fact that terror organisations and lone-wolf actors have seriously contemplated the use of CBR agents. In 2019, Indonesia foiled a suicide plot by a pro-Islamic State Jamaat Ansharud Daulah (JAD) cell that involved using abrin-filled explosives. Abrin is a natural poison found in the seeds of the rosary pea plant. Just 0.7 micrograms of abrin could kill one hundred people. During their investigation, Indonesian police seized 310 grams of rosary pea seeds! If that plot had materialised, one can only imagine the mass-casualty event that would have ensued. In 2021, a 26-year-old French national was able to manufacture four improvised explosive devices containing uranium. Activation of such devices would have contaminated the surrounding area with radiation. He had bought the components online and taught himself using internet tutorials. Thankfully, he was caught before the devices could be used in a far-right terror attack. 

Need for International Cooperation

Terror cells and lone-wolf actors can exploit a wide range of CBR materials. This highlights the need for international cooperation as well as technical and operational know-how to effectively address the proliferation of CBR threats. At the policy level, all ADMM-Plus countries are already State Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Operationally, both military establishments and defence scientists have an important role in responding to and investigating CBR incidents. Indeed, the foundation of good preparedness is close cooperation. This includes developing common protocols and conducting joint exercises.

I am pleased that the Network of ASEAN CBR Defence Experts has made good progress in bringing regional and international experts together to discuss CBR issues. The Network hosts regular workshops, seminars and training sessions. It adapted to the challenges posed by COVID-19 by shifting its engagements over the past two years online. It has also hosted COVID-19 workshops on scientific cooperation and vaccine development. The Network has also brought its members together for practical cooperation. Last year, it co-hosted a table-top exercise on chemical incident response with the Royal Thai Army Chemical Department. The Network is particularly grateful for the support it has received from external partners such as Australia's Defence Science and Technology Group, Republic of Korea's Agency for Defense Development, United Kingdom's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, US Defence Threat Reduction Agency as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency and Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The Network has benefited from this expertise beyond the region, strengthening ASEAN's capacity-building efforts in this area.

Conference Theme and Plenary Sessions

We hope Singapore's hosting of the ADMM-Plus CBR Conference can be a meaningful contribution to international cooperation in this area. The theme we have chosen for the conference is "A Holistic Approach to Addressing CBR Threats". Each plenary delves into a different discipline of CBR response. Surveillance, Detection and Diagnoses ensures that we have robust methods to sense and detect potential threats quickly and accurately. Response and Recovery ensures that a threat can be safely dealt with and that necessary preparations are in place before an emergency. Forensics and the Use of New Technologies ensures we are able to fully support the post-incident investigation process to better understand how an incident occurred and how future incidents can be prevented, especially through the use of technology. A wide range of international speakers from both government and non-governmental organisations have been invited to share their views. Their expertise spans the entire CBR spectrum. We look forward to hearing their policy, operational and technical perspectives over the next two days. The Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) CBRE Defence Group will also host a site visit and demonstration for a first-hand look into how the SAF and DSO National Laboratories would work closely together in CBR incident response operations.

In closing, in our globalised, interconnected world where trade in goods, people and information flow freely, it is impossible for any one security agency to keep an eye on every threat and every threat vector all the time. It is only by working together, that we can more effectively address such threats and protect our citizens and one another.

On this note, thank you very much for your attention and I wish you a fruitful and productive conference.

More Resources

Singapore hosts ADMM-Plus Chemical, Biological and Radiological Conference