Terrorism in Southeast Asia and a new order

 

 

 

ISLAMIST terrorist groups in Southeast Asia grew over the last two decades and Jemaah Islamiyah, the main terrorist group, spearheaded the rise in extremist groups in the region. 

 

The leader of Jemaah Islamiyah – Abu Bakar Bashir – is Emir and head of Jemaah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia and is currently in prison for involvement in terrorist operations. 

 

Jemaah Islamiyah was established in Malaysia by Abu Bakar Bashir when he escaped the ruling dictatorship of the Sukarno administration. After his return to Indonesia in the early seventies, his leadership created an extensive network operating in Southeast Asia today with four Mantiqi’s established and operating in the region. 

 

Jemaah Islamiyah was able to recruit, educate, indoctrinate and train Islamist Jihad groups. These Mantiqi’s were headed by regional leaders under the leadership of Abu Bakar.

 

Evidence clearly shows that since 2002 there has been some 360 extremist and radical groups operating freely in Indonesia. Over the years these groups have grown within the states of Southeast Asia spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Brunei. 

 

Today there are about 500 Islamist Jihadist groups operating in the region. These groups have spurred from affiliated groups loyal to Jemaah Islamiyah and Al Qaeda; to individual groups with no direct affiliation to any international terrorist groups. Nevertheless, their sympathy is in direct actions of these international groupings.

 

Today, these groups are suspected to have spread all around the Southeast Asia region with individual movements operating on their own and with no support structure from the main groups.

 

An example of one such movement in Indonesia where the plot was foiled by the Police Detachment 88 is the Good Friday or the Christ Cathedral plan to blow up the gas pipeline that ran through near the church grounds. 

 

Pepi Fernando is just one of the new faces of terror groups in the uprising in Southeast Asia. Although Jemaah Islamiyah plays a lead role in the region, these new faces of terror is quickly becoming real in Indonesia and the region.

 

The new faces of terrorism in the region are young people who have no direct contact with any terrorist figures or any affiliations to Islamist groups. 

 

What is transpiring is frightening as the Southeast Asian governments are not addressing the issues constructively. 

 

Extremist and radical groups are growing in the region and there seem to be a downplay on these groups from the governments of Southeast Asia for fear of discrediting Islam. These individual groups have evidently been indoctrinated in universities or colleges where manipulation of works and teachings of ulamas and lecturers have been identified.

 

It is also staggering to know that these individuals have no militia or any physical training in terrorist tactics. Their training has been the internet where Al Qaeda public relations propaganda websites have been a source of new and increasingly dangerous training facility. 

 

A propaganda magazine that is published in the website clearly shows how easy it is to get training on using an AK47. Hence other training sites are available for bomb-making and so forth which can be downloaded with an ease are available today on the internet.

 

Current terror threats are even more complex in the region as there are more than 2000 students from the Southeast Asia region who are studying in countries tormented with terrorism. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Yemen and certain Middle Eastern and African countries are potential indoctrination of terrorist modus operandi.