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Indonesia can fight Islamic State in the Philippines
Should Indonesia respond to the Philippines’ request to restore security and order in Marawi, it has to address three critical questions.
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Military troops scour the site of a roadside blast in the village of Matampay in Marawi City, Southern Mindanao on November 29, 2016. (AFP/Richel Umel)
T
he imminent defeat of the Islamic State (IS) movement in Iraq and Syria has sparked concern that the terrorist group may relocate to other regions.
The recent suicide bombings and attacks targeting police officers in Indonesia and ongoing clashes in southern Philippines signal that the IS of Southeast Asia may not be far away.
Action is needed now before the region’s security and stability deteriorate, be it by individual states or a group of countries. As the biggest ASEAN member and home to a population comprising more than 80 percent Muslims, Indonesia’s active participation is awaited in countering the spread of IS.
Since the beginning of the year, Turkey, Russia and the United States have intensified their support for the fight against IS in Syria and Iraq. In June, Raqqa and Mosul were re-captured from the terrorist group, prompting its foreign fighters to return to their countries of origin and desperately try to wage a “holy war” there.
The war in Marawi on the Philippine island of Mindanao is a IS franchise fight in Southeast Asia. It follows the call of the late IS spokesperson Abu Mohammed al-Adnani for the group’s members to carry out lone wolf attacks during Ramadhan to obtain martyrdom. The Philippine government responded by imposing martial law in Mindanao.
Countries such as Australia, China, Russia and the US have expressed support for the Philippines. Regionally, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia have launched a trilateral maritime patrol code named Indomalphi in Sulu waters, where the three ASEAN countries share sea borders.
Indonesian IS supporters are apparently eager to join the insurgency to establish a self-styled caliphate in the region, if not at home. According to the Philippines Daily Inquirer, President Rodrigo Duterte has told Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo that most foreign fighters who join the insurgency in Marawi come from Indonesia. If Indonesia is really serious about helping the Philippines, preventing terrorists from perpetrating attacks in the neighboring country could be the first step.
