Singapore minister warns IS will target Southeast Asia

SINGAPORE — Southeast Asia faces a growing risk of extremist violence from Islamic State (IS) supporters as the jihadist group seeks new pastures after setbacks in the Middle East, Singapore’s home minister said Friday.

While IS is rapidly losing territory in Iraq and Syria, this may increase the risk of revenge attacks in Southeast Asia — and certain pockets of the region are receptive to radical Islamic ideology.

“The threat, if anything, I think has increased compared to last year and earlier this year,” K. Shan-

mugam told reporters.

Parts of Southeast Asia have long struggled with Islamic militancy and hundreds of radicals from the region have flocked to join IS.

Southeast Asians fighting for the jihadists have formed their own unit in the Middle East, called Katibah Nusantara, and are believed to be in regular contact with militants back home.

In the strife-torn southern Philippines, which has long battled a Muslim insurgency, a handful of Islamic extremist groups have sworn allegiance to IS.

Significant risk There has been an upsurge of violence and attempted attacks in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, over the past year due to the growing influence of IS.

Even wealthy Singapore has detained several radicalized members of its local Muslim minority.

“There is an increased likelihood that the Islamic State will declare an official wilaya, or province, in Southeast Asia in 2017,” Otso Iho of defence analysts IHS Janes said Wednesday.

This would “most likely” happen in the southern Philippines, he added.

The region suffered its first IS attack in January this year when extremists launched a deadly suicide bombing and gun assault in Jakarta.

Minister Shanmugam said one key challenge for Singapore, an immigrant society of 5.5 million people, would be maintaining social cohesion in the aftermath of an attack.

Pointing to successful attacks in neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia, Shanmugam said it was a matter of when — not if — an attack would hit Singapore.

“We will guard our borders but the risk is quite significant,” he said.

Increased intel gathering

President Rodrigo Duterte already saw the tell-tale signs of violence espoused by extremists that he told graduates of a motorcycle — riding course of the Philippine National Police — Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) to be prepared to tackle terrorists and terrorism which would soon become the country’s major concern.

“I’d like to warn you in the coming days, we will be facing a serious problem aside from drugs.,” the Chief Executive said in his speech during the graduation ceremony of the Motorcycle Riding Course (MCRC) Class 06-2016 in Davao City on Friday.

Terrorism, the President warned would become the country’s concern in the next two to three years and everyone should prepare for it.

“Be prepared for something else; it’s terrorism. It will come,” Duterte said. His administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, he said is gaining positive results that he is leaving it to the police and anti-narcotics personnel to continue doing their job and focus on terrorism next.

“Okay na ‘yung drugs. Hayaan mo na lang ‘yung mga operating unit (Drugs has been covered. Let’s allow the operating units to attend to that),” Duterte said.

As to terrorism, he said: “Yan ang danger nakikita namin, maybe the next two, three years. Bantay kayo. Kalaban mo diyan... ‘Yan ang pinaka-delikado (That’s the danger that we see, maybe in the next two or three years. Be alert. The enemy there… that’s what’s most dangerous).”

“Be prepared... Apat, lima, anim lang ‘yan, but it would require so many human intelligence,” he stated.

Best solution Duterte also mentioned the ongoing peace talks with different rebel groups maintaining his position that peace negotiations is still the best option to take in solving the country’s problems on insurgency and separatism.

“I’m talking with everybody. Ayaw ko naman ng gulo. Papatayin mo man lahat ‘yang kaharap mo, wala rin (I do not like trouble. Even if you kill them all, it’s useless). This has been going on for so many (years)... chika-chika lang muna. We’ll talk,” he said.

“Hindi naman sana ma-offend ang military (I hope the military won’t be offended), but that is really the best solution there... Wala naman tayong magawa eh (We can’t do anything) I said we cannot wage war against our own people. And you cannot build a government over the bones of the soldiers and the rebels,” he continued. (With a report from Yas D. Ocampo)