Online extremism poses new threats to South-east Asia

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
East Asian ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Suicide Bombings ◽  
The Military

Subject Online radicalisation. Significance On May 25, the Indonesian parliament unanimously passed stringent anti-terrorism laws allowing the military to be directly involved in counterterrorism operations. The vote followed a string of suicide bombings attributed to local jihadist networks that have pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS). Jakarta joins other South-east Asian governments -- notably those of Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore -- in attempting to counter a new push in the region by IS, as it loses territory in Iraq and Syria. Impacts Rising anti-Shia sentiment in the region, a by-product of increased Saudi influence, will likely give IS new issues to exploit. The Rohingya crisis gives IS a regional boost, especially in terms of operations in Myanmar and more likely in Yangon than Rakhine State. Non-ideological, low-wage overseas workers, particularly from the Philippines and Indonesia, are most susceptible to IS.

Prospects for South-east Asia in 2022

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Vaccination Rates ◽  
Thai Government ◽  
The Military

Significance Meanwhile, the Myanmar junta and the military-aligned Thai government are under pressure from opponents, and the Philippines is gearing up for elections. With COVID-19 vaccination rates varying greatly, some countries in the region are better placed than others to revive their pandemic-hit economies.

Tax plan could raise South-east Asia corporate costs

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Multinational Companies ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tax Amnesty ◽  
Third Phase ◽  
Tax Bases

Subject South-east Asian tax bases. Significance Indonesia's tax amnesty programme enters its third phase in 2017. The amnesty will generate short-term revenue, but it is not a solution to a wider problem of limited tax bases found across the ASEAN core economies of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Impacts Bilateral tax treaties may change following OECD reforms, even if South-east Asian states are not party to the initiatives. Compliance costs for country-by-country reporting for multinational companies under the OECD initiatives could be substantial. More efficient tax collection and wider tax bases could benefit ASEAN states' development such as infrastructure.

US-South-east Asia security ties face some tests

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
East Asian ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Us South ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current Term ◽  
Security Relations ◽  
East Asia Security

Significance The ADMM-Plus is primarily a confidence-building forum, but Esper will need to navigate various issues that will affect US security relations in South-east Asia for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s current term. Impacts The forthcoming US election could further diminish Trump’s attention towards multilateral meetings. US defence ties with Singapore and Vietnam will grow more easily than with Thailand and the Philippines. US counterterrorism cooperation with South-east Asian states will likely grow.

South-east Asia coastguard growth could see friction

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
East Asia ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
East Asian ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Territorial Claims

Subject Development of South-east Asian coastguards and their geopolitical implications. Significance Senior coastguard officers from Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States will meet later this year to discuss cooperation and capacity-building -- and the assertive actions of China's coastguard in littoral waters. With external partners' support, South-east Asian states are developing their coastguards to fight crime and assert maritime territorial claims. Impacts Fishing activities will probably trigger spats between South-east Asian and China's coastguards. Gradually, inter-operability between South-east Asian coastguards will expand. Tokyo and Washington will use coastguards to deepen ties with South-east Asian countries. There could be frictions between Indonesia's and Malaysia's coastguards over waters around Ambalat.

Uighur militants complicate China-South-east Asia ties

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
East Asian ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Refugee Status ◽  
Suicide Bomber ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Domestic Security ◽  
Political Risks ◽  
State Group

Subject Some Uighurs have developed links to Islamic State group and travelled to South-east Asia with terrorist intent Significance In December, Indonesia's counterterrorism force arrested eleven men on suspicion of having links to Islamic State group (ISG) and planning terrorist attacks against Indonesia. One of the suspects was a Chinese Uighur who had allegedly been trained as a suicide bomber, while two other Uighur suspects escaped. These developments question South-east Asian governments' assumption about the threat of 'home grown' terrorism by South-east Asian ISG fighters returning from the Middle East. The presence of Uighurs in potential attacks on South-east Asian targets underscores the region's particular vulnerability to ISG. Impacts Anti-Uighur measures carry limited political risks for South-east Asian leaders. China will demand the return of Uighur migrants even if they have applied for, or been granted, refugee status. South-east Asian regional governments will be uneasy with greater Chinese intrusion into their domestic security.

Tokyo will push to keep influence in South-east Asia

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
Security Policy ◽  
East Asian ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Asian Leadership ◽  
Foreign And Security Policy

Subject Outlook for South-east Asia-Japan relations. Significance Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets US President Donald Trump on February 10. This follows his January 12-17 tour of the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Australia and new US defence secretary James Mattis's visit to Tokyo and South Korea last week. China’s assertiveness and influence in the Asia-Pacific region, and the policy uncertainties surrounding the Trump administration threaten Japan’s traditional foreign and security policy settings and East and South-east Asian leadership role. Impacts South-east Asian states will try to play China and Japan off against each other for improved infrastructure financing. Australia and Japan are now the leading countries committed to the TPP’s continued relevance. Vietnam is likely to seek deeper economic and security ties with Japan. Japan may face US pressure to conduct South China Sea freedom-of-navigation patrols.

South-east Asia halal tourism growth needs investors

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
Islamic Law ◽  
East Asian ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
It Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Halal Food

Subject Market and investment outlook for halal tourism. Significance The Philippines will hold a Halal Tourism Expo on April 22-24, one of several initiatives to capture an increasing share of the fastest-growing segment in South-east Asian tourism -- travel and accommodation that adheres to Islamic law. Manila hopes that its Philippine Halal Tourism Project will lead to millions of dollars of new investment in infrastructure, technology and services. Impacts Halal food and accommodation markets will offer the most growth potential. Airlines and airports may need to provide additional halal-compliant facilities. The halal tourism sector will bring associated IT, services and infrastructure needs.

South-east Asia lacks unified riposte to Islamic State

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Security Risks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Counter Terrorism ◽  
Legal Frameworks

Subject South-east Asia's regional response to Islamic State. Significance South-east Asian countries face security risks from Islamic State (IS)-affiliated militants. States are seeking to coordinate action at a region-wide level, with the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit last month including a parallel Counter-Terrorism Conference. Impacts Washington will likely use support for counterterrorism to develop defence relations in South-east Asia. Tougher legal frameworks to combat terrorism could result in laws that constrain civil liberties. For Australia, stronger ties with ASEAN could encourage a more conciliatory approach to the region’s autocratic regimes.

North Korea-South-east Asia ties face headwinds

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
North Korea ◽  
East Asian ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
The Sea Of Japan ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dialogue Process

Significance Last week, Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur imposed travel bans against each other’s citizens following the February 13 murder in Malaysia of Kim Jong-nam, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother. South-east Asia has worked to integrate North Korea into the Asia-Pacific region through the ASEAN dialogue process. However, Pyongyang’s missile launch into the Sea of Japan on March 6 is likely to have greater impact on South-east Asian views of North Korea than Malaysia's diplomatic spat over Kim Jong-nam. Impacts Likely North Korean efforts to expand trade with South-east Asia will see limited success. The Kim Jong-nam murder and China’s position may add further strain to the Philippines-US relationship. South-east Asian states are unlikely to support China’s wish to punish South Korea economically for deploying the THAAD system.

Policy gaps to test South-east Asia-US security ties

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
East Asia ◽  
National Security ◽  
East Asian ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Military Officers ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Problems

Significance Both documents will reflect Trump’s emphasis on military solutions to foreign policy problems, which has also been evident from his appointment of several former high-ranking military officers to top national security posts. This trend will likely strengthen traditional US security partnerships in South-east Asia: with Thailand and the Philippines, the two US allies, and with Singapore. However, it could complicate US counterterrorism cooperation with South-east Asian governments, which relies more on partnerships with police and intelligence agencies. Impacts Trump needs to manage Duterte’s suspicion of Washington to build a stronger Philippines-US relationship. This would support a greater US naval presence in the South China Sea. It will also be crucial to tackling IS in South-east Asia given the southern Philippines’ vulnerability to terrorists. Washington will need further to warm ties with other IS-vulnerable South-east Asian countries such as Myanmar.

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