Standing Our Ground: A Study of Southeast Asian Counterterrorism Conventions Contributing to a Peaceful Existence

Authors

Major Dennis Hager

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Less than a year after the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington D.C., terrorist groups in Southeast Asia carried out a number of high profile attacks in the region. In an area ripe for global terrorism the effects of counter‐terrorism conventions can be measured and the possibility of progress in the global war observed. The regional cooperation inherent in these conventions has been crucial to the success of peace for this region, and is especially significant considering the immense cultural and political differences among these nations.

With fourteen official languages and over 500 million people living in an area that spans the entire economic, religious, and political spectrum, Southeast Asia may very well epitomize the definition of regional diversity. They have a style very different from that of the European Union, but one that may be applicable in Africa, Latin America, or the Middle East.

Maintaining a focus on sovereignty does not equate to a lack of regional or international cooperation. Contrary to some western views this region has proven to be flexible and effective in countering terrorist threats. As terrorists continue to evolve, Southeast Asia is prepared to evolve in ways that will counter new threats.

Recommended Citation

Major Dennis Hager, Standing Our Ground: A Study of Southeast Asian Counterterrorism Conventions Contributing to a Peaceful Existence, 1 U. MIA Nat’l Security & Armed Conflict L. Rev. 72 (2011)
Available at: https://repository.law.miami.edu/umnsac/vol1/iss1/5