South-east Asian governments will curb Islamist threat

Subject

Terrorism threat in South-east Asia.

Significance

At an ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting last month, Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the region should expect an increase in activity by Islamist militants. In recent months, authorities across South-east Asia have arrested numerous suspected militants and foiled terrorist plots.

Impacts

• If there is a significant uptick in militant returnees from the Middle East, the threat level in the region may have to be re-evaluated.
• The Philippine military will focus its counterterrorism efforts on the Sulu archipelago.
• Indonesia and Malaysia will use recently revised anti-terrorism laws to increase detentions of suspected militants.