ISIS in Southeast Asia: Problems now and later

Increasing numbers of Southeast Asians, mostly Indonesians and Malaysians, are going to Syria and Iraq to fight for ISIS. Indonesian fighters tend to be linked to existing radical organizations, while Malaysians are often recruited through social media. In part because of language, fighters from both countries are living together, training together, and fighting together. What new bonds are they forging? What are the implications when they return? And how are Southeast Asia governments responding?

On June 5, the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings hosted a presentation by Sidney Jones, director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC), examining the patterns of ISIS activity in Southeast Asia and the potential threat of returning fighters to the region. Joseph Liow, senior fellow and Lee Kuan Yew chair in Southeast Asia Studies at Brookings, moderated the discussion.