Lecture 24: Anti-Terrorism of Southeast Asia

1. Lecture 24: Anti-Terrorism of Southeast Asia 16th April 2003 (Wednesday)

2. Structure of Lecture 24: • Introduction to Southeast Asia and Islam • Southeast Asian Response to 911 • The Bali Night Club Terrorist Attack (The “1012 Incident”) • The Australian Dream and the Iraqi War • Conclusion: • The Four Interpretations of Southeast Asian Terrorism

3. PART IIntroduction to Southeast Asia and Islam

4. Universal Vs Regional Religions • Universal Religion: • A Religion Aims at Converting the Whole World with a set of Universal Values • e.g. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism • Regional Religion: • A Religion Exclusively Belonging to a Certain Region/ Ethnic Group • Concept of the “Chosen Citizens by God” • e.g. Judaism, Shitoism

5. Islam as a Universal Religion • Misconception: • Islam = Middle East = Radical?! • Muslims in Places Outside the Middle East • Muslims in China (Huizu) and the Meaning of its Chinese Translation • Muslims in Southeast Asia • Muslims in the West (Gilles Kepel, Allah in the West, Stanford University Press, 1997)

6. The Roles of Religion in the Southeast Asian History • Islam from Middle East to Southeast Asia (1400AD) • Religion as a Unifying Tool against External Threat • Islam and Roman Catholicism • SE Asia Vs Imperialism • Philippine Vs Spain and USA • Indonesia Vs Netherlands • Malaysia and Singapore Vs Britain

7. Independence of Southeast Asia • Independence of the Philippines as a Secular Republic (1946) • Independence of Indonesia as an Islamic Republic (1949) • Independence of Malaysia as a Federal Nation (1957) • Independence of Singapore as an Authoritarian Republic (1963)

8. Correlation between State Religion and Terrorism? • Southeast Asia: the “Second Front of Anti-Terrorism” Catholic Nil Islam Support for US’s Anti-Terrorism

9. PART IISoutheast Asian Response towards 911

10. The Internal Dilemma • To Side with USA: • Pros: An External Helper against Local Islamic Fundamentalism as a Rival to the Regime • Cons: Losing Islamic Support Locally • To Side against USA: • Pros: Gaining Islamic Support Locally • Cons: Islamic Fundamentalism Challenging the Regime

11. The External Dilemma • Side with USA: • Pros: Become an American Protectorate against Other External Threats • Cons: National Interests Tie Hand-in-hand with the American Interests; Antagonizing anti-American countries; Sacrificing National Sovereignty to USA • Side against USA: • Pros: Retaining International independence; Maintaining Strategic Importance in the World • Cons: Possibly the Next Target of Anti-terrorism (Bush Doctrine II)

12. The Choice of the Philippines • The Philippines as a Catholic Country • The Profile of the Post-Ferdinand Marcos Philippines • President Gloria Arroyo • American-Philippine Alliance • Philippines as an Ex-American Colony • American army Stationed at Manila • Whole-hearted Support of Anti-terrorism

13. The Choice of the Philippines (II) • Motivations: • Abu Sayyaf (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) – as a Separatist Threat instead of a Terrorist Threat • Philippines in the Economic Hierarchy of Southeast Asia • “Yes Mom Diplomacy”– the Diplomacy of Filipino Maids and the Iraqi War

14. The Choice of Malaysia • Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad • Malaysia as a Neglected Economic Dragon? • Malaysia’s Odd Disappearance in the Anti-Terror Coalition (together with Iran, Iraq and North Korea) • Concerns: • Less Separatist/ Terrorist Threats than the Philippines/ Indonesia • “Western Conspiracy” against Mahathir in the Asian Financial Crisis – the Suharto Precedence • Use “Anti-Terrorism” as an Excuse to Strengthen the Dictatorial Rule of Mahathir

15. The Choice of Indonesia • Significance as the Most Populated Islamic Country of the World • President Megawati Sukarnoputri • The Megawati Trip to Washington after 911 • Internal Anti-American Protests • Concerns: • Separatism after the Independence of East Timor • Radical Islam as a Political Competitor • Importance of Readmittance into the International Community after ex-President Mohamed Suharto

16. PART III The Bali Night Club Terrorist Attack (12th October 2002)

17. “1012” after “911” • Target: Western Tourist-oriented Night Club at Bali Island, Indonesia • Death: 216 (!) • The Hong Kong Rugby Team • Western Media: “the wake-up call” • Wake-up call for Southeast Asia Anti-Terrorism • Wake-up call for USA to Further its Anti-Terrorist Effort …

18. Message of the “Second Front of Terrorism” • Analyzing the Target – The “Proxy Attack” • Regional Second Front: Southeast Asia Vs Middle East/ “Homeland” • Psychological Second Front: Entertainment Business/ Tourism Vs Financial Business • The Lang Kwai Fong Mania •  Ability of USA to Fight Two-front/ Multi-front Wars in the Future?

19. Southeast Asian Radical Muslims and Al-Qaeda? • Suspect of the Bali Bombing: • Jemaah Islamiah (JI, Islamic Prayer Group) • Spiritual Leader: Priest Abu Bakar Bashir • Islamic Fundamentalist in the Philippines: • Abu Sayyaf • Leader: Al Haj Murad • Their Linkages to Al-Qaeda and Laden: • Afghanistan as the Social Club of “Future Terrorists” in the 1980s • The Provision of Monetary Funds by Al-Qaeda • In Exchange for the Provision of Shelters by Southeast Asian Terrorists • The Common Religious Agenda

20. The Pan-Islamic Country Proposal, Southeast Asia Version? • The Supposed “Proposal of Jemmah Islamiah”— • Indonesia • From Moderate Islam to Radical Islam • A Step-stone to “Convert” Australia • The Philippines • North/South Division between Catholicism and Islam  • Incorporation of the South • Malaysia • From Federal Union to Islamic Federal Union •  a Great Economic Union •  a Settlement of Territorial Disputes •  a Great Islamic Nation in Southeast Asia! •  a Strong Alliance to the United Middle East!

21. Southeast Asia Vs Middle East • The Cohabitation of Christianity with Islam • The Introduction of Democracy to Authoritarianism • The Complexity of Ethnic Conflict • The Encirclement of Superpower Candidates •  Are Islamic Radicals Possible to Player Larger Roles in the Region?

22. Assigned Readings • Main Text:Amitav Acharya: “State-society Relations: Asian and World Order after September 11” (B&D P.194-204) • Supplementary Text: BBC News: In Depth Bali http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/asia_pacific/2002/bali

23. PART IV The Australian Dream

24. The Three Alignments in theAustralian History (20th Century) 1 2 3 • Australia as a Hardcore Commonwealth Member (1900-1945) • Number 3 Power in the Anglophone • Australia as a Second-class American ally (1945-1991) • Minor Member in the Pan-Anglo-Saxon Alliance • Australia as a Self-proclaimed Leader of the Booming Asian-Pacific Region (1991-2001) • Number 1 Power in “Australasia”? • The Post-911 World Order?

25. John Howard’s Pre-911 Excitement in the East Timor Crisis (1999) • Australia as the Major Source of United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Indonesia (1999) • Australia behind the Independence of East Timor • Willingness of East Timor to Become an Australian “Protectorate” • John Howard as the Guardian of East Timor Democracy  “Godfather of Peace of Southeast Asia”

26. “Operation Enduring Freedom” • Alliance of Traditional American Allies in Southeast Asia after 911 • Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan • An Encirclement of Whom? • Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China…

27. John Howard’s Post-911 Excitement • Australian Investigation of the Bali Attack • Australia as the “Big Three” in the War against Iraq (USA, Britain, Australia) • DREAM: • To Merge the Accented American Power after 911 with its Asian-Pacific Agenda • The “United States” of the Asia-Pacific Region • The American Custodian of the Southeast Asian World Order

28. George W Bush on Howard: • “With Global Visions; Can really Foresee the Danger of Terrorism”; • “A Very Close Friend of Mine”; • “One of the Very Few People that I will Listen to his Opinions”; • …

29. PART V Conclusion –The Four Interpretations of Southeast Asian Terrorism

30. Identifying the Nature of the “Terrorist Attacks” • Separatism? • Ache of Indonesia; Moros of the Philippines … • Universalism? • Radical Islam and the Islamic Nation Proposal … • Anti-totalitarianism? • “Global Terrorism”?

31. Democracy and Terrorism • Lack of Democracy = Warming-bed of Terrorism? • Authoritarian States = States “Containing" the Opposition by Pressure • Democratic States = States Incorporating the Opposition in Open Elections and Power Sharing • Terrorism = One of the Different Measures Used by Suppressed Opposition to Challenge against the Incumbent Government • Only the Opposition Lobbies in Authoritarian States are “Suppressed“ •  Symbiotic Relationship between Terrorism and Opposition Lobby in Authoritarian States Only

32. Authoritarianism = Less Effective Anti-Terrorism? • War of Anti-Terrorism of Authoritarian States • = War of Anti-Opposition • = “War against Freedom” • War of Anti-Terrorism of Democratic States • = War Fighting on Behalf of the Whole Nation against an External Enemy

33. Who are the Gainers of Labeling “Global Terrorists” Worldwide? • Defining the Attacks as Separatism/ Universalism/ Anti-Totalitarianism: • Still within the Domain of Domestic Politics • Terrorism, in Capital Letter… • Out of Scope of Domestic Politics •  Providing Legitimate Rationales for Other Countries to Intervene •  Increasing Possibilities to Create/ Reinstate New Regional Hegemons (e.g. Australia, India…)

34. ~~The End~~ Thank you for attending