REGION MUST UNIFY in efforts to counter extremism

While it is true that people in this region, to some extent, live together peacefully despite differences in political ideas, cultures and religions, it is also true that we have recently seen a shift toward extremism. 

More and more Southeast Asians, notably the young, have joined extremist movements such as Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East and North Africa. Their stated ambition is to learn techniques and strategy from the IS to use in their struggle for the same ideals at home. Unfortunately only a few leaders have responded to the threat inherent in this trend, and we have heard precious little regarding measures to deal with the issue. 

Perhaps only in those countries where the great majority of the population is Muslim do they realise how acute the need is to deal with extremists. The remainder seldom acknowledge there is even a problem. 

There is hope of improvement in this matter with Malaysia, currently chairing Asean, actively promoting moderation amid rising concerns over the threat of extremism.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak acknowledged yesterday at the opening of the Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur that hundreds of people from the region had joined combatants in Syria and Iraq to commit atrocities in the name of Islam.

“They are, of course, tragically misguided, and we wholeheartedly condemn their actions,” he said.

At Malaysia’s initiative, the leaders of the 10-member bloc are expected to adopt the Langkawi Declaration on the Global Movement of Moderates to help counter extremist views, which have led to radical groups and militants attempting to gain a foothold in the region.

The declaration, to be adopted at the end of the summit today, is an action plan 

 containing measures to help defuse tensions, negate radicalism and counter extremism in all its forms.

Essentially, Malaysia wants Asean to be unified in dealing with the IS, with which hundreds of Muslim citizens, mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia, now serve. To Kuala Lumpur’s alarm, dozens of young people have been recruited. 

Other Asean leaders, however, wrestle with the term “moderation”, given its contexts in regard to ethnicity, culture and primarily religion. Those from non-Muslim-majority countries maintain that their citizens are already politically moderate and have nothing to do with the problems in the Middle East and elsewhere. 

But extremism can and does visit every nation in this region. In Myanmar there have been extremist Buddhists attacking Muslims in a series of violent communal clashes in recent years. In the southern Philippines the Muslim Moro has signed a peace agreement with Manila, but there is deep concern that peace will not hold. Even such uncertainty is good fertiliser for extremist views.

In Buddhist-predominant Thailand the Malay-Muslims strive to express their unique identity against the discomfort of the majority of the population. There is little tolerance to be found in the deep South these days. Muslim insurgents will take up weapons as long as Buddhist Thais refuse to acknowledge their grievances. 

Even among the Thai Buddhists there is damaging disunity between the royalists and those who favour a more republican system. While the coup and martial law have smothered street protests and the wielding of weapons across the country, it remains disconcerting to hear citizens boast that they are “more Thai” or love the King more than their compatriots. 

So we are heartened by Malaysia’s efforts to foster moderation in a bid to counter extremism. It would be even more encouraging if all leaders of Asean were to hold earnest discussions on measures to deal with the divisive situations in their respective locales.