Jones: COVID-19 and Extremism in Southeast Asia

Special Issue: Pandemic Asia. 2020 July/August
The Asia-Pacific Journal | Japan Focus Volume 18 | Issue 15 | Number 4 | Article ID 5437 | Aug 01, 2020
Mit freundlicher Erlaubnis von Japan Focus.

COVID-19 and Extremism in Southeast Asia

Sidney Jones


Abstract:
Violent extremism in Southeast Asia did not increase as a result of Covid-19 despite exhortations from ISIS leaders to attack, nor was counter-terrorism capacity seriously undermined by the need to divert funds and personnel. Fears remained that the pandemic might increase interest in biological weapons or cyber-attacks; create a favourable climate for recruitment as economic hardship deepened; or lead to prison uprisings. Of these the concern about prisons was most justified.

Download pdf