Its perhaps an irony that while Islam has been branded "a religion that allows terrorism":http://www.frontiers.org/perspective/, the primary focus of anti-terrorism efforts has been in the Middle East. We've got millions more Muslims here in South East Asia; based on a balance of statistical probability alone, it would be logical to assume that "the next wave of attacks will come from this region":http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/EE22Ae02.html.
But human beings aren't a bunch of numbers. Incalculable factors always influence our decisions. In this case, i suspect any act of terrorism will come, if at all (the "Bali bombing":http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6477083%255E953,00.html notwithstanding), later rather than sooner because of our much maligned "Asian values".
What are "Asian values":http://www.uottawa.ca/hrrec/publicat/asian_values.html ?
Lee Kuan Yew tells us that it is:
bq. Equally important are the noneconomic factors -- a sense of community and nationhood, a disciplined and hardworking people, strong moral values and family ties. The type of society determines how we perform. It is not simply materialism and individual rewards which drive Singapore forward. More important, it is the sense of idealism and service born out of a feeling of social solidarity and national identification.
Dr Mahathir tells us that it is:
bq. Stability and enforced social cohesion in a heterogenous society then becomes internalised as a fundamental core of Asian Values for this leading exponent of the concept.
Based on both defitions above, its clear that Asian values can be used as an excuse to suppress aspects of human rights: freedom of speech for the greater good of a multiracial society, detention without trial for the safety of a community, etc. Looking at it from a purely utilitarian perspective, such excuses should be valid - the good of the one does not outweigh the good of the many. But has history as so often shown us, utilitarianism is very often the mother of abuse. But in the effort against terrorism, perhaps our "Asian values" have assisted in our protection.
Asian values teaches, or rather conditions, Asians into thus believing two fundamental lessons (these lessons "could be very wrong":http://www.brainsnchips.org/hr/sen.htm, but that is not the point of this discussion):
# Belief in the authority and validity of central authority
# Do not sacrifice measurable economic and social prosperity for the sake of unmeasurable concepts
Acts of terrorism require terrorists. Terrorists will find it relatively difficult to operate in an enviroment of "Asian values" simply because there is less opportunity and cause to create the "culture of terrorism" - a belief that death and war is preferable to peace and subjugation. Without that culture (and the culture will be difficult to create simply because Governments won't allow it to and have suitably strong means to stop it from being created, and the people see less cause and have less inclination to take up arms), terrorism in South East Asia lacks the support base necessary. Without the support base, the resources required to mount terrorists attacks (e.g. money, time and people) will be severely limited.
While is can be argued that the resources mentioned above can be "imported" from where they are readily available, i believe that the costs inefficiencies for such an activity would make it prohibitive. Therefore, most terrorists resources will remain exactly where they are now: concentrated in the Middle East.
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