Thayer Terrorism In Southeast Asia

Terrorism in Southeast Asia Professor Carl Thayer Security Studies (Regional) Australian Command and Staff College October 14, 2009

L t Lecture O Outline tli 1. 2. 3. 4 4. 5. 6.

D fi i Terrorism Defining T i Al Q Qaeda in Southeast Asia Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) Abu Sayyaf Group Southern Thailand Net Assessment

1 Defining Terrorism 1. No internationally agreed definition of terrorism z 1937 League of Nations failed z United Nations still considering definition z U.S. has multiple definitions z ‘New Terrorism’ – mass casualty, y, internationally networked, religious extremism z

Organisation of Islamic Conference z

We reiterate the p principled p position p under international law and the Charter of the United Nations of the legitimacy of resistance to foreign aggression and the struggle of peoples under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation for national liberation and selfselfdetermination. In this context, we underline the

urgency for an internationally agreed definition of terrorism, which differentiates such legitimate struggles from acts of terrorism [emphasis added]. z

“Kuala Lumpur Declaration on International Terrorism,” adopted at the Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers on T Terrorism, i April A il 11-3, 3 2002. 2002

Proscribed Terrorist Groups z

United Nations List (Southeast Asia) Al Qaeda 2. Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) (JI) 3. Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) 1 1.

2. Al Qaeda Q

O Osama bin bi Laden L d

Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's second in command Al Qaeda command,

Al Qaeda and Southeast Asia •Recruits went through Arab Service Bureau (MAK) first •Southeast Asians then went to Camp Saddah, Pakistsan •Camp Saddah divided into ‘tribes’ •Shift to Torkham Camp, Afghanistan •Battle of the Lion Lion’ss Den, Jaji, April 1987

1985-95 then shift to Mindanao 7

Al Qaeda and Southeast Asia

Hashim Salamat Moro Islamic M I l i Liberation Lib i Front or MILF

Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani – Abu Sayyaf Group or ASG

Abdullah Sungkar Jemmah Islamiyah or JI

3. 3 Jemmah Islamiyah (JI) • 1972 Sungkar and Ba’asyir found Pesantren al Mukmin (Ngruki) ( g ) • 1985 they fled to Malaysia • Set up school and attract Ngruki alumni • Recruit volunteers for Afghanistan 9

1993 JI founded Abdullah Sungkar 1st Amir

Indonesians in Pakistan/Afghanistan MAK-then Camp Saddah MAKthree--year program three z 1985 - less l than th 12 z 1986 - 50 50--60 recruits z 1987 – 2 groups of 25 z 1988 – 15 recruits z 1989 – nil z 1990 – 25 recruits

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z

z z z

1991 – final and largest group including Malaysians and Singaporeans 1992 – split p in Darul Islam 1993 - JI created, shift to Torkham 1996 - Relocation to Mindanao

Rabitatul Mujihadeen, 1999 1999--2000

JI and militant groups from Aceh and Sulawesi, plus MILF, PULO , GMIP, Rohingya Solidarity Organisation and Arakan Rohingya National Organisation.

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Mantiqi 1 –Malaysia/Singapore z z z z

Sungkar-Ba’asyir recruit volunteers for training in SungkarAfghanistan Recruits also sent to Poso and Ambon Mantiqi 1 serves as transit stop and meeting point for two of 99-11 hijackers Coordinated security raids by Singapore and Malaysia against JIJI-KMM network (December 2001) z Kumpulan

Militan [Mujahideen Mujahideen]] Malaysia z PAS members implicated 14

Ridduan Isamuddin ((Hambali)) z z z

z

JI’s Chief of Operations Has contacts with al Qaeda 1999 Hambali orders JI cells to assume operationall status Oct. 2000 Planning for attacks tt k on fforeign i embassies and local targets

(captured 2003 now held in Guantanamo)

Mantiqi q 2 – Western Indonesia • May 1998 New Order collapses • Sungkar g and Ba’asyir y return to Ngruki • Sungkar dies • Ba’asyir head of JI • Hambali’s group views Ba’asyir Ba asyir as a weak leader Abu Bakar Ba’asyir Ba asyir – 2nd Amir of Jemaah Islamiyah

Sectarian Conflict in Poso and Ambon, 19981998-2001

A variety of militant groups participated such as Laskar Jihad and Laskar Jundullah

JI conducts coco-ordinated church bombings

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Major JI Attacks in Indonesia 2002 - 202 killed 2003 - 12 killed 2004 - 9 killed 2005 - 20 killed

JI Indonesia Splinters Killed 17th September 2009

Azahari bin Husisn killed 9th November 2005

Noordin Mhd. Top and Azahari Husin 20

4. 4 The Philippines z z z z z

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New People’s Army Moro National Liberation F t (MNLF) Front Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) Raja Solaiman Movement (RSM)

Abu Sayyaf Group z z z z

Khadafi Abubakar Janjalani

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z

1991 founded by Abdurrajak Janjalani 1995--96 MILF camps 1995 p relocated from Afghanistan to Mindanao Wanton spree of terrorism against Christians 1998 Janjalani dies ASG turns to kidnapping pp g 2002 Khadafi becomes ASG leader (killed 2007)

Abu Sayyaf Group Ph Phase 1 – 1991 to 1998

Jihad qital - sectarian violence –

Islamic state

Phase 2 – 1999 to 2004 3 factions - violent kidnapping for ransom

Phase 3 – 2004 - present Jihadist agenda and triangular cooperation with MILF factions and JI remnants plus foreign (AQ?) trainers 24

Rajah Solaiman Movement z

z z

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Membership composed of Filipino Christian converts to Islam working in Middle East Aim to create Islamic state S Supported d by b ASG SG and JI

Ahmed Santos arrested 2005

Triangular Terrorist Network Jemmah Islamiah remnants

Abu Sayyaf Group -ASG

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Moro Islamic Liberation Front MILF

SuperFerry Bombing - February 2005

Joint operation involving JIASG-RSM and MILF 194 killed

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5 Southern Thailand 5.

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Southern Thailand PULO/New PULO KMM remnants Most Muslims reside in provinces of Yala, Songkhla, Pattani, Satun & Narathiwat. h

Criminal g gangs g Separatists BRN-C C RKK Commando Force GMIP

Southern Thailand Kru Se Mosque 28 Apr

Tak Bai 25 Oct Coordinated Assaults 4 Jan

Over 3,400 deaths (January 2004-December 2008)

‘Fire Fire in the South’ South - 2004 January y 4th assault on 4th Development Battation armoury and co-ordinated attacks in three provinces by older separatists

April 28th coordinated attack on police posts by new younger Muslim militants results in killing of >100 attackers at Krue Se Mosque

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Tak Bai – October 25 25, 2004

78 of those arrested died of suffocation in transit to army camp in Pattani

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Southern Thai Separatist Groups z

1959 Patani National Lib Liberation i Front F (BNPP) z

1986 renamed Patani Islamic Liberation Front

Early 1960s National Revolution Front (BRN) z 1968 Patani United Liberation Organization g (PULO) ( ) z

z

z

BRN-Coordinate BRNz BRN BRN--Congress z

z

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1992 Pemuda (Youth wing)

BRN--Ulama BRN

1985 PULO splinter group z

z z

Patani United Liberation Army

1980--84 BRN split 1980

z

z

z

U it d Patani United P t i Mujihadeen M jih d Front

1995 New PULO 1995 Patani Islamic Mujahidin Movement (GMIP) – Afghan veterans 1997 Council of the Muslim us People eop e o of Patani ata (Bersatu) BRN-Congress BRNz New PULO z GMIP z

Southern Thai Separatist Groups z

2005 BRN BRN--Congress g

Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK) – small armed patrol group z Patani Liberation Assembly (Dewan Pembebasan Patani) umbrella g group p covering small autonomous cells z

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z

2005 emergence g of large g youth movement recruited from ponohs, technical schools schools, universities and among workers, farmers and unemployed l d z

Student Network for People’s People s Protection

6. Net Assessment z AQ

severely disrupted globally z Progress in cutting AQ’s financial networks z AQ has adapted by greater focus on propaganda d and d information i f ti warfare f z Al Q Qaeda’s ambition of linking g Southeast Asian struggles to its own internationalism has not succeeded

Net Assessment Global trends: small autonomous cells and individuals draw on advanced technologies and tools of g globalisation (Internet, ( , satellite communications and international commerce) z Greater focus on information warfare z

z Al

z

Qaeda as vanguard of global movement

From ‘expeditionary’ to ‘guerrilla’ terrorism z Global

insurgency g y

Net Assessment JI a ‘stand stand alone operation operation’ and not subordinate to al Qaeda z JI JI’ss regional networks atrophied z

z Over

400 JI leaders arrested

S lit in Split i JI: JI political liti l agitation it ti -v- violent i l t breakaway faction z JI in Indonesia degraded z

z Some

remnants operate in the Philippines

Net Assessment But JI members still active z Cooperation with criminal gangs z Training T i i and d recruitment it t continues ti z JI ASG MILF MILF--SOG nexus in the Philippines z Mistake to focus solely on JI however z Southern Thailand – no evidence of outside jihadist influence (al Qaeda or JI) z

Terrorism in Southeast Asia Professor Carl Thayer Security Studies (Regional) Australian Command and Staff College October 14, 2009