Reassessing The Extremist Threat in Southeast Asia

In this episode, Munira Mustaffa analyzes militant groups in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines and details the organizational weaknesses that have marked their recent ineffectiveness. The dissolution of the Islamic State’s caliphate in Iraq and Syria have prompted fears that transnational militant groups would use Southeast Asia to regroup. However, these militants have failed to galvanize local militant groups – each with its own goals and grievances – to adopt a transnational cause.