Latest Articles about China and the Asia-Pacific
Peace Talks Resume as Cease-Fire Comes Under Strain in the Philippines
Monday, September 4 saw the resumption of formal peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The government had announced a major breakthrough in the talks with the MILF in April 2005 and in her... MORE
Abu Sayyaf Group’s Notorious Chieftain: A Profile of Khadaffy Janjalani
In the first week of August, intense fighting broke out against a faction of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) militants on the southern Philippine Island of Jolo (Sun Star, August 15). While the Armed Forces of the Philippines claimed to have killed five militants, their real... MORE
JI’s Moneyman and Top Recruiter: A Profile of Noordin Mohammad Top
Of all the known leaders of Jemaah Islamiya (JI) at large, no one strikes more fear than Noordin Mohammad Top. A Malaysian national, he along with his compatriot, the late Dr. Azahari bin Husin, were the masterminds behind seven past suicide attacks to hit Indonesia.... MORE
MILF’s Stalled Peace Process and its Impact on Terrorism in Southeast Asia
Early July saw a spate of fighting that has seriously challenged the peace process in the southern Philippines. The fighting began with attacks by pro-government paramilitaries on Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) villages in Maguindanao. The MILF's counter-attacks provoked intervention by the Armed Forces of... MORE
Surge of Bombings Rock Thailand’s Troubled South
On June 15, an unprecedented number of bombings rocked the three troubled provinces of Southern Thailand, where an Islamist insurgency has been underway for more than two years and has left more than 1,300 people dead. In the course of four days, some 74 bombs... MORE
The Role of Kinship in Indonesia’s Jemaah Islamiya
On April 29, the Indonesian police raided the safe house of Jemaah Islamiya (JI) senior member Noordin Mohammed Top in Wonosobo, Central Java. Noordin, Southeast Asia's most wanted terrorist, eluded capture by escaping only hours before police arrived at his hideout. Two of his trusted... MORE
Southern Thailand Still Suffering from Insurgent Violence
By April, the commander of Thailand's 4th Army, Lieut. Gen. Ongkorn, asserted that, "The situation in the three southern border provinces should improve since the militant network has been weakened by the arrest of its top members." Instead, by April the insurgency was spiking back... MORE
JI’s Two-Pronged Strategy in Indonesia
Two recent reports based on Indonesian police and intelligence sources regarding Jemaah Islamiya's (JI) changing strategies suggest that the organization continues to have a two-pronged strategy of both targeting Western interests and fomenting sectarian conflicts. While some analysts have suggested that these strategies reflect deep-seeded... MORE
Christian Converts and Islamic Terrorism in the Philippines
For several years now, the Republic of the Philippines has attracted the attention of regional and Western authorities as an emergent hub—both logistically and operationally—for cross-border jihadist extremism in Southeast Asia. Most of this focus has been directed toward the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), largely... MORE
Maritime Terrorism in Southeast Asia: Potential Scenarios
In Southeast Asia, home to one of the world's most strategic sea lanes—the Straits of Malacca, and the world's second largest port, Singapore—the vulnerability of the maritime sector is of great concern. As a result, over the last few years various scenarios of how terrorists... MORE