Marking the 20^th Anniversary of the 2002 Bali Bombings

The 2002 Bali bombings, an attack perpetrated by the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist network that killed 202 civilians, was a pivotal moment for Southeast Asia’s militant landscape. Since the bombings, the largest terrorist attack recorded to date in Indonesia, Islamist-linked terrorism has become a major regional security concern. And galvanised Southeast Asian governments to intensify counter-terrorism (CT) capacity-building, transnational cooperation and intelligence sharing.

This issue carries five articles covering elements of the regional threat environment, twenty years on from the Bali bombings.

In the first article, Kumar Ramakrishna assesses that while the Islamic State (IS) is currently the “Tier 1” terrorist threat in Southeast Asia, JI may be the more enduring one in the long term. According to the author, JI retains a significant military capability, and has become “far more sophisticated, adaptable, capable of good organisation and [of] exploiting issues”. In short, JI appears to be  regenerating, and unearthing the reasons for this requires a better understanding of its ideology and strategic philosophy.

Next, Alif Satria examines the trajectory of Indonesia’s counter-terrorism policies and P/CVE programmes over the past two decades. The author notes that despite the authorities’ increased attention to the P/CVE space, and progress in disrupting both JI and pro-IS networks, the terrorist threat persists. Besides domestic initiatives, Indonesia should also increase its engagement with its regional neighbours to develop its counterterrorism (CT) capabilities further, he adds. Thirdly, V. Arianti charts the transformation of the JI network to become a social and political force – in addition to the militant force it already is. In this regard, JI is possibly learning from other similar outfits overseas, such as the Muslim Brotherhood and the Hezbollah. Still, its resumption of a more militant path cannot be ruled out.

In the fourth article, Kenneth Yeo and Unaesah Rahmah study the attack tactics employed by Southeast Asian militants and discuss their similarities and differences over the years. Drawing from ICPVTR’s Southeast Asian Militant Atlas database and other relevant sources, the authors analyse various patterns and trends in bomb plots, as well as the use of guns and other weapons. Notwithstanding the differences between key regional terror networks aligned to Al Qaeda or IS, their current tactics and strategies continue to represent a threat to the security of countries in the region, and will require effective and holistic responses.

Lastly, Sylvia Laksmi explores how terrorist organisations in the region exploit various channels, such as charities and digital platforms, to raise funds for their terrorist campaigns. The author also details the many prevailing challenges that need to be addressed in relation to terrorism financing. These include terrorist organisations’ shift from international to domestic networks for moving funds, use of third-party accounts such as friends and relatives and their misuse of increasingly popular digital payment systems.