Southeast Asia Grapples with Extremism Resurgence

Following the recent liberation of Mosul and Raqqa under siege, the so-called Islamic State is slowly collapsing inwards. As it does, the prospect of battle hardened foreign fighters returning to their countries of origin are a concern for governments around the world. For governments in Southeast Asia, the concern is not just the recent uptick in extremist attacks, but the parallels it has with recent history.

Southeast Asia has a long and unbroken history of Islamic extremism dating back to the end of World War II. The threat it has posed has waxed and waned over time, but it peaked in the late  1990’s and early 2000’s when al Qaeda linked fighters from a burgeoning regional terrorist network,  Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), returned from training in Afghanistan.  JI was responsible for a series of high profile bombings and terrorist attacks throughout Southeast Asia, particularly against Western targets.  After a targeted campaign by regional governments, JI was severely degraded and its networks fractured. Nonetheless, the precedent of returning fighters joining an emerging terror network has powerful lessons for today.