Topic > Transnational Organized Crime in the Southeast Asia Region: Impact on Malaysia's Security, Socio-Political and Economic Wellbeing

IndexTerrorism in Southeast AsiaAbu Sayyaf GroupOther Activities in Southeast AsiaIllegal SmugglingMoney LaunderingDrug TraffickingHuman Trafficking humansSea piracyEffects of South East Asia terrorism towards Malaysia social and political and Economy The security dilemma of a country is associated with the increase in crime rate and terrorist activities, particularly in South East Asia. It refers to the lack of efforts by the armed forces and related regulatory agencies in curbing and combating issues related to it. This failure can arise from various factors which may include unstable politics, economic issues, extremism, rebellion or militancy and even lack of security systems. Failure to control and prevent this element will provide terrorist groups with the opportunity to conduct their activities and spread their ideology or beliefs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayTerrorism in Southeast AsiaTerrorism is defined as any terrorist activity conducted by a particular individual or group and which contradicts international norms of opposition to terrorism. In general, the international community has opposed terrorism. To make terrorist acts appear legitimate, terrorists will use religions or beliefs as elements to initiate any terrorist act. For example, using terms such as Jihad and Holy War is intended to incorporate religious elements into terrorist activities. Marin and Patricia Vazques (2008) found that a terrorist group was believed to have formed by spreading the ideology of terrorism in extremist, fundamentalist, conservative, and poorly educated groups of societies. These groups of society will be recruited to be part of the terrorist group by spreading religious teaching in the place where terrorism is accepted. Weak countries tend to be the most strategic locations for terrorist movements. This is because these countries are internally weak. These countries may also face rebellions, ethnic clashes, narrow-mindedness, political instability, corruption, extremist and pathetic legal systems. These internal problems in some countries can provide terrorist groups with the opportunity to easily access the country. According to the Global Terrorism Database (GTD 2017), since 1970, terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia have been varied. In 2004 there was a further increase in the frequency of attacks. GTD data shows a dramatic growth in the number of terrorist attacks from 2011 to 2013. After the September 11 attacks, international security represents a great challenge for the United States of America in changing the focus on its security policy. According to Paul J. Smith (2013), the September 11 attacks meant that the international media began to highlight that Washington had confirmed that Southeast Asia is the "second front" of terrorist activities. Terrorism has become a significant problem and security concern in Southeast Asia, particularly after the September 11 incident in 2001. Tun Mahathir Mohamad (2003) was speaking at a time when the September 11 attacks were still debated globally and at that time the impact of the attack was notable. still continuous and strongly influenced by the Western world. Tun Mahathir recognized the serious impact not on Americans but on the entire world socially and economically. Tun Mahathir managed to expresssolidarity with the civilians of the Pentagon attacks and at the same time extended its solidarity to the main suspects of the incident. Tun Mahathir in his speech specifically predicted that the suspects, innocent until proven guilty, may to some extent suffer so tragically from the action that they may not have been involved in the first place. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on a contextual analysis of the movement of Southeast Asia's two major terrorist groups, the Abu Sayyaf Group and Jemaah Islamiyah. Based on GTD data, the Abu Sayyaf Group committed a high record of attacks in 2013. Although they have significantly decreased with Operation Jemaah Islamiyah, both the Abu Sayyaf Group and Jemaah Islamiyah have established their ability to conduct series of attacks against multiple objectives that have had a socioeconomic impact on the region. Abu Sayyaf Group According to O'Brien (2012), the Abu Sayyaf Group was described as an organized crime syndicate that claimed to seek wealth by manipulating terrorist tactics and other illegal activities. From another point of view, it is explained that the Abu Sayyaf Group had originally sought the freedom of the Moro Muslims, a minority tribe under the Philippine government, upon which the Group then urged the creation of the independent law-abiding Islamic State Sharia Islam. The Sayyaf Group has endured years of fighting terrorism by the Philippine Armed Forces. Technically, they have proven to be quite durable. According to Banlaoi (2010), this type of force can be attributed to the group's main recruitment tool for attracting wealth and control from Southeast Asian Muslim communities. According to the GTD, the Abu Sayyaf group committed or is suspected of committing 486 terrorist attacks from February 18, 1994, through December 2016 (GTD 2017). Hostage taking was the main attack in 2013, followed by bombings and armed assaults. This pie chart represents 486 attacks by the Abu Sayyaf Group from its formation until December 31, 2016. Based on GDP data, attacks by the Abu Sayyaf Group include armed attacks and unarmed assaults, hijackings, bombings, assassinations, takeover situations hostages, including barricades and kidnappings, along with attacks on facilities/infrastructure. The Abu Sayyaf group's major attacks include bombings accounting for 42% (203), kidnappings accounting for 34% (165), and armed assaults accounting for 22% (109) of their attacks. According to Banlaoi (2008), to attract young Muslims to be part of the Abu Sayyaf group, the main incentive is money. Apart from this, Muslim families also volunteered their children to join this group. The monthly payment for the participant was approximately RM800 and rice. In 2010, for example, it was estimated that the group had 445 members, of which members aged 30 or younger accounted for 79% of the total membership. It only takes dissatisfied young people to be attracted to the income the group can earn from kidnappings. Among the group's members are many individuals who are committed to jihadist ideology. However, it has always been concluded that the majority of members of the Abu Sayyaf Group are not influenced by jihadist ideology or the creation of an Islamic state, but rather by finance and power. The attraction to material gain is the main indicator that members of the Abu Sayyaf Group are motivated by greed. As such, the Abu Sayyaf group has a large recruitment pool as long as economic instability continues to be a domestic problem in the Philippines. Bayahihan (2010) stated that from 2011 to 2013, in the first phase of the Philippine government the internal peace plan was introduced andsecurity (IPSP) to address security, ideological insurgencies and terrorist groups such as the Abu Sayyaf group. Since then there have been changes in the pattern of attacks by the Abu Sayyaf group, from bombings to kidnappings, as an indicator of the group's response to government pressure. Since the implementation of IPSP, an increased number of attacks have occurred and is the highest number in the history of the Abu Sayyaf group. Jemaah Islamiyah Jemaah Islamiyah was formed in the early 1990s and was based in Indonesia. Jones.S (2005) stated that the goal of creating this Islamic group is to create a caliphate that reaches most of the ASEAN countries which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Singapore and the rest of the world.Philippines . 3.16 The original Jemaah Islamiyah fighters are believed to have trained in Afghanistan and have links to al-Qaeda. Since its founding, Jemaah Islamiyah remained an underground movement until its first attacks in 1999. Their attacks targeted Western and local countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia. Jemaah Islamiyah's most notable attacks were the Bali bombing that killed 202 people in 2002. The other major attack was the 2003 car bomb at the JW Marriott hotel that killed 12 people, followed by the car bomb in 2004 at the Australian embassy which killed 11 people. They also conducted a suicide bombing that killed 22 people in 2005. Joose AP and Milward (2014) found that the fight against terrorism against this group was led by the governments of Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia which led to the elimination of its network in 2009 Other terrorist organizations have shifted attention away from Jemaah Islamiyah since 2009. Former JI members and leaders have formed other radical groups but were arrested and convicted by Pakistani authorities and Philippine security forces in 2012. The ideology of Jemaah Islamiyah was based on the Islamic ideology of the need for preventive violence, which was considered tactically and strategically appropriate. Jemaah Islamiyah aimed to be seen as a religious warrior for the interests of Muslims. This organization seeks the affirmation of a broader Islamic community. The group's main activities were conducted in the years 1999 and 2000, which subsequently faced a dramatic reduction. Other Activities in Southeast Asia Failures in governance, health and environmental issues have been identified as non-traditional or also known as human security challenges which at the same time also influence the increase in conflicts and instability in South-East Asia. East Asia. These failures have the potential to create security-related impacts resulting from increasing globalization and technological change. The issue of non-traditional threat in Southeast Asia is considered serious and is sometimes so related to well-organized groups. A terrorist group like the Abu Sayyaf Group that conducts various illegal activities mainly consists of illegal smuggling, money laundering, drug trafficking, human trafficking and maritime piracy. The array of these transnational criminal activities expands, taking advantage of weak government institutions and law enforcement, as well as corrupt officials and politicians. Criminal activities appear to be undermining peace in the Southeast Asia region. Illegal Smuggling Smuggling activities occur mostly in Southeast Asia, trading in various products including timber and small arms, food, textiles and even wildlife. Southeast Asia is known as an active trading hotspot where the trader will act as both a supplier andconsumer in the import-export of products that contribute to the enormous volumes of international trade. Natural products such as medicinal and valuable plants, endangered animal species and even fishery products have their own market and have easily been subject to illegal smuggling due to failure to implement the enforcement bases of the Convention on International Trade in Wildlife Species and wild flora threatened with extinction (CITES). Smuggling wild and wild animals falls under the scope of traditional medicine, for example using tiger bones, bear gall bladders, pangolin scales, rhino horn and Dendrobium orchids. Wild life has also been smuggled and illegally traded to become pets. Includes reptiles and birds to meet the demand of collectors of rare species. Wildlife will also be smuggled illegally to be traded as food that contains a source of protein. Food harvested from nature, which includes meat, fishery products or plants, has its own market and demand. Fur, skin and wool from mammals and reptiles are exchanged to make various end products, including clothing and…various accessories. The forests of Southeast Asia contain several resources that are used to generate income especially by illegal smugglers. In many cases, in the rush to supply global markets with timber and other forest products, the need to conserve forest ecosystems is overlooked. Therefore, illegal logging and timber smuggling represent a growing problem, due to an inexhaustible demand, especially for high-value species. Smuggling of drugs and illegal weapons is also a serious activity conducted in this region by organized groups where sometimes it is so linked to the terrorist group. It indirectly ensures the financing of the organization by carrying out these activities due to such high marginal profit. criminal networks. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), ASEAN economies are expected to grow at a rate of 5.2% from 2016 to 2020. Economic growth will be indirectly accompanied by persistent signs of graft and problems of corruption. , the same applies to the risk of money laundering. Money laundering will have potential negative consequences for the national economy, for example governments will receive less tax revenue when companies underinvoice the value of their shipments. Misrepresenting the value or quantity of imports and exports can allow criminals and corrupt government officials to move capital more easily in order to legitimize the source of the funds. Money laundering is difficult to detect due to the complexity of the trade finance process itself and the number of entities involved. The unstructured format of required documentation, such as Word documents, PDF files and scanned images, creates additional automation and screening challenges. Money laundering belief is one of the effective tools to enable transnational organized criminal groups, including terrorist groups, to operate and transfer resources globally. Drug trafficking At the 7th Australian Counter-Drug Strategy Conference, regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in March 2015, highlights the growing threat of drugs, including various synthetic forms such as methamphetamine and heroin, especially in the Southeast Asian region. It is exported globally to Japan, New Zealand and Australia drawing a correlation with instability in the Golden Triangle, cross-border trafficking and the resumption of production ofopium in recent years between Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. Research has revealed that most methamphetamine production in East and South-East Asia meets regional demand, but considerable quantities are also trafficked to other parts of the world, notably Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Thanks to this lucrative and growing market, complex international drug trafficking networks are increasingly active in the region. This is particularly relevant in the current era of regional integration and reduced border restrictions in Southeast Asia, which have the real potential to increase cross-border trafficking of drugs and precursors. An effective distribution network allows drug traffickers to transport refined heroin and amphetamines from the Golden Triangle to Thailand, which is still a major route for illicit drug trafficking. Narcotics are also smuggled from the Golden Triangle into China's Yunnan province and then overland to Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau. Additionally, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, and Phnom Penh have become important centers in global drug distribution. All these different destinations are used as transit points to supply domestic and international markets. Funds from drug trafficking allow criminal syndicates to have modern military equipment and to bribe politicians, judges and police authorities. Human trafficking Human trafficking is a criminal activity linked to organized criminal groups that control trafficking and human trafficking. Making high profits motivates traffickers and smugglers to expand their activities in this region. In April 2015, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a report titled Migrant Smuggling in Asia: Current Trends and Related Challenges that analyzes migrant smuggling in 28 states from the Middle East to the Pacific. This report finds that criminal networks are creatively exploiting the gap between demand and regular migration. Based on the research conducted, the smuggling costs amount to $50,000, which will usually be reimbursed after their arrival. This report also warns that migrant smuggling poses a significant threat to Asia, generating an annual value of $2 billion for criminal groups and causing deaths and human rights abuses. Traffickers typically provide fake passports, transportation, transit, accommodation and border crossings. Young women and children will always be the main targets of illegal traffickers. They will enter the country as undocumented workers who end up working as prostitutes and domestic workers. Generally, the illegal status of this immigrant makes it more difficult to approach local authorities. The United Nations estimates that more than 200,000 women a year are trafficked in Southeast Asia. The illegal trafficking of women is mainly hidden within the broader phenomenon of undocumented immigration. The Asian financial crisis and economic hardships faced by nations in the region have increased human trafficking in Southeast Asia. Poverty and lack of education and job opportunities are the root causes of this problem. Despite some attempts to promote interstate cooperation against human smuggling and trafficking, the issue has continued to cause political problems in Southeast Asia. Due to limited bilateral and multilateral collaboration and lack of political unity among countries, this issue becomes more difficult to address. be fighting. Illegal immigration can negatively affect bilateral ties and tensionspolicies between governments. The severe poverty and economic disparities that persist in Southeast Asia severely undermine regional efforts to address issues of human smuggling and smuggling. Maritime Piracy Maritime piracy is a historical and cultural phenomenon that has continued into this modern era affecting maritime traffic in some of the busiest shipping lane areas. Maritime piracy has been defined as “the act of boarding any vessel with the intent to commit theft or any other crime and with the intent or ability to use force to carry out such act.” Maritime piracy is a crime committed within international waters, which includes the high seas, exclusive economic zones and the contiguous zone, and therefore outside the territorial jurisdiction of any country. The Third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III) states: “All States shall cooperate to the fullest extent possible in the suppression of piracy on the high seas or elsewhere outside the jurisdiction of any State.” The number of reported piracy attacks around the world has increased rapidly in recent years. In 2002, 103 cases of piracy attacks were reported in Indonesian waters. Significantly, at least a third of the attacks are believed to have never been reported. Shipowners and captains fear rising insurance premiums and being seen as unreliable in the industry. cargo carriers. The piracy problem in Southeast Asia poses a threat to regional and international economic security. The free and safe navigation of commercial vessels in Southeast Asia is essential for international trade. The risk of piracy in the region has already resulted in a high economic cost, reflected in the loss of cargo and vessels and increased insurance premiums added to many cargoes passing through the Straits of Malacca. There are also fears that a pirate attack on a supertanker crossing the Strait could lead to an environmental disaster of enormous proportions. Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore are the ASEAN countries most affected by piracy. Maritime piracy in Southeast Asia is typically perpetrated at night by fishermen, petty criminals, former members of the military but also by well-organized criminal gangs. They are often better equipped than most naval authorities. They have speedboats and modern weapons to take control of merchant ships. Most piracy incidents occur in ports or when the boat is at anchor. Crew may be violently attacked by armed groups targeting cash, expensive equipment and parts of the cargo. Attacks also occur when vessels are sailing in territorial waters and, to a much lesser extent, on the high seas. Criminal organizations are increasingly involved in piracy and typically target relatively small vessels carrying products that can be sold at high profits on the black market. They also use hijacked ships for human trafficking and the transport of illicit drugs and weapons. These groups benefit from weak governments that lack the financial resources, political will and effective enforcement agencies to counter their criminal activities. Rampant corruption among maritime officials and dock workers allows pirates to be well informed about ship movements and the composition of their cargoes. Rivalry between the Indonesian police and navy also undermines efforts to prevent piracy attacks. All these factors explain why piracy is currently out of control in Indonesian waters and the Strait of Malacca..