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I have been staying in Bali for the past 14 years and now staying in Singapore. I was in Bali when both the first and second Bali bombing exploded.
I could not believe that there has been nothing done to punish all the suspects. It is quite disappointing and disheartening to see these suspects laughing from the jail. They even have access to cell phone and laptop.
Don't you think there is something wrong? It's been 5 years and Bali has not recovered totally.
I am going back to Bali at the end of the month. I hope by then there are some improvements.
Bram Adimas Wasito
In the context of Indonesia for instance, there does seem to be that lack of enforcement in the way in which Bashir - the if you would 'figure head' behind the Bali bombings was actually let off with a relatively light sentence.
I believe the internet is definitely a tool like all other things which can be used for both good and bad but the information has always been available.
I guess it's just the hardening of the mindsets and the perception of all the injustice that they seem to feel that still exists without them being unable to take an active role to actually solve these perceived injustices.
So I guess that is probably what polarizes these professionals, these educated men into taking such extremist measures."
Cannis Seng
National University of Singapore Law Faculty
There is a great effort by some of the South East Asian governments to combat terrorism - here in this case we are talking about the Indonesian government. But whether they are winning the combating of terrorism in South East Asia - I don't think so.
Because there is always still a potential of another movement of terrorism, of this Jemaah Islamiyah so called this movement in the country or even in some other neighbouring countries like maybe Thailand or in the Philippines or in other unexpected countries because it can be happening anywhere.
And why I'm saying that it’s not winning yet is because the source of the terrorism which is now like in Iraq, Afghanistan or in the north western part of Pakistan - they are still moving and they move very delicately and subtly so that they can move anywhere they want to go.
And sometimes the capacity of governments for example like in Indonesia where we have like weak military or police officers, sometimes they couldn't control the behaviour of trans-nationalizing terrorist movements, and again I still can't measure that all these - successful capture of these alleged terrorists like Bali bombers.
And also recently Azahari and some other links, network terrorist links, they were captured but I don't think we can measure this as winning. Because actually the source is not in Indonesia, the source is in the Middle East and some other countries.
Ahmad Hanafi Rais
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS
What exactly is our strategy on the war on terror? Is it purely war on terror against terrorists but how about the war for the moderates, people who lead their daily lives and are innocent but they happened to have a beard or they happened to go to a mosque five times a day?
Is society, or elements of society, or worse still, elements of the state unfairly labelling them as fundamentalists, zealots, radicals and egging them on from being the middle ground and pushing them into the cess pool of fundamentalism or radicalism?
And that is an area of concern that should be equally be given weight as compared to the existing fundamentalists. Your John Walker Lindh's of society, they need to be addressed as well.
And to effectively answer the question of whether we're winning the war on terror - we have to address this question - are we winning the war for the moderates instead of just against a status-quo of people?
And personally I don't have an answer to that question - whether or not we are addressing that war. But I feel that more can be done for the moderates, people who lead their innocent lives but are unfairly tainted by society or elements of society as being otherwise.
People in America after 9/11, moderate Muslims have been painted with the same brush as they paint fundamentalists. In the UK as well where the Islamic Council had to have a proactive stand against packaging most moderate Muslims as non fundamentalists.
Is religious rehabilitation workable?
Again, what do you mean by religious rehabilitation? It has to come from a figure or someone who
(a) has the authority, and
(b) has the mandate to actually rehabilitate these people who get pushed over into the other side of the fence.
As long as you have the legitimacy to incorporate such policies then possibly - but more so, it's not about waiting until the moderates become extreme and then fight a war on terror.
I think you have to start from the beginning, from the roots of it and start waging a war for the moderates.
Nabil Mustafiz
National University of Singapore, Law Faculty
If these terrorists and individuals who belong to terrorist cells are so bent on destroying fundamental freedoms in society, they trample upon individuals right to movement, freedom of speech, right to pursue life, liberty and happiness by infringing upon the way that they live their lives.
Why is it that governments of countries further impose upon these very same rights, the right to movement, lets say the Patriot Act in the United States for instance, instead of upholding and cherishing these rights even more, to show terrorists that these are rights and values that we hold dear and close to our hearts and will protect rather than infringe on ourselves?
Because in the current situation it seems that terrorism is begetting more terror because of the way that governments also curtail the rights of their people.
Vishal Harnal
National University of Singapore, Law Faculty
In South East Asia in general, I don't think its winning the battle because for me, I think terrorism in South East Asia - particularly in the Philippines it stems from poverty, really.
So I think it appeals to go into extremes if you are in abject, in a situation of abject poverty wherein you don't have, you don't have so much of a choice.
But I think it appeals because of the poverty, for example in the Philippines, really especially in the south. I mean top ten, the poorest provinces - five or more are from Muslim Mindanao. So you see the situation really there.
For example the Abu Sayaaf that operates in Sulu, Basilan, Tawi Tawi, Western Minadanao - I think it really breeds on poverty. It’s more of a systemic thing because when you are poor, you are trapped in such a situation that you don't have so much of a choice.
You don't get education, you don't get services, you don't get these kinds of things and in a way that limits a person and suddenly there is this powerful ideology, for example, that promises you liberation from that situation, so it appeals.
And it may be the only option that these people have. For example the Abu Sayaaf members, they're very young.
The Philippine reaction to terrorism has been more of increasing the role of the state, meaning going into neutralizing these forces and making a strong presence.
For example, several months ago, landmark legislation, the human security act was passed by Congress in the Philippines that would allow seizures, arrests without warrants once you are suspected of being a terrorist.
And I think this is a grey area because terrorism has been so broadly defined in the law that anything can fall under it. For example even if you are exercising legitimate dissent, even if you are exercising protest within the bounds of law, you know you can be tagged as a terrorist.
And I think that is, I don't know, some kind of short sighted reaction on the part of the state. What would be a more long term approach is to really focus, for example in the Philippines, is to address these unacceptable situations in Muslim Mindanao.
For example, really address, whole heartedly, sincerely address the poverty situation there and I think that would give people a lot of choices for them to be able to maximize their potentials and really grow as human beings.
Jowil M. Plecerda
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS
Well educated people seem to be drawn in, willing to take their lives and the lives of others. I think it's a paradox.
Also if you look at Al Qaeda recruits, they are often times educated people from middle class families who really should have no reason to engage in such activities. And that certainly is something that terrorism I believe, is not directly linked to poverty.
I think in some ways it might be but in other ways it is an ideology that often times young people are indoctrined in a very young age... has been the case in Germany or the UK where it is obvious that when they were just teenagers, they have already been recruited into these movements.
That's something that governments need to address where there needs to be more of a not surveillance but more of an involvement of the government in the lives of young people, in education and who gets in touch with young people, who is active in the country and who radicalizes people at such a young age. They would do something like that.”
Branca-Martina Rohner
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS
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