Justice Minister Michael Keenan said Southeast Asian communities were grappling with the same problems as Australia
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SIDNEY – Australian Justice Minister Michael Keenan said Southeast Asian communities are seeing a revival of jihadism across Southeast Asia, prompting police and intelligence agencies to retool their assets in the region, taking officers off people-smuggling duties and putting them on counter-terrorism.
Saying Southeast Asian communities were grappling with the same problems as Australia — Islamic State-style radicalisation, attack planning, and a tide of enthusiastic Muslims travelling to Syria to fight for the terror group.
Dead bodies are seen as Indonesian police hold rifles while walking behind a car for protection in Jakarta
The result was an overall decline in regional security, with authorities increasingly concerned Australians may be caught up in terror attacks, such as last month’s gunbattle in Jakarta that killed four innocent people along with four of the attackers.
“It’s been clear for some time we’ve been seeing a deteriorating security picture in the region,” Mr Keenan told The Australian. “They (our neighbours) are subject to the same threats that we’ve seen in Australia. (Islamic State) has been recruiting their citizens to go to fight in the war zone and it’s also been encouraging their citizens to carry out attacks at home.’’
Malaysia Struggles to Stop People Joining Jihadists
Australian officials now regard Southeast Asia as the emerging battleground with Islamic State, which has re-energised militant groups in Indonesia and fuelled radicalisation in Malaysia.
The Australian understands Malaysia’s Special Branch police have thwarted at least four terror plots in recent times. Malaysian authorities also have investigated members of their police and military over suspected radicalisation.
Screenshot from ISIS video showing an unnamed fighter from Philippines urging fellow jihadists to join ISIS
In The Philippines, authorities are concerned the southern region of Mindanao, which is largely lawless, will be used as a redoubt for foreign fighters or a base for attacks in Indonesia.
There are also concerns Islamic State could nominate an area such as Mindanao as a “Province’’ of the so-called caliphate, potentially attracting local jihadists.
The concerns have prompted a flurry of ministerial visits, with Mr Keenan and Attorney-General George Brandis frequent visitors to Indonesia, Malaysia and The Philippines in an attempt to deepen the existing co-operation between Australia and the region.
The Australian has been told officials have “retasked” existing assets in the region, something they can do now the people-smuggling networks have been largely defeated. Australian Federal Police and Australian Secret Intelligence Service officers, who until recently were gathering intelligence on people smugglers, are now focused on counter terrorism.
By Paul Maley