Regional Cooperation against Terrorism in East Asia

Abstract

This paper examines factors that promote and hinder regional cooperation against terrorism. The paper argues that counter-terror cooperation in the region is internally driven. The paper gives a particular focus to the Peoples Republic of China, Indonesia and Malaysia. Domestic political and economic concerns strongly influence counter-terror policies of these countries. Differences in attitude towards counter-terrorism cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia are best explained by their different domestic political dynamics. The domestic balance of power between political parties and bureaucratic politics exerted positive influence in Malaysia while they influenced negatively in Indonesia.