The challenge of extremism in South-east Asia

Extremism presents challenges to governments and societies in terms of how to understand its causes, reduce its impact and prevent its spread. At the heart of the debate on extremism in South-east Asia are three main issues: the link between political majoritarianism and terrorism, the importance of revenge as a motive for terrorist acts and the changing role of women in extremist movements. The role of law enforcement remains critical to meeting the on-going extremist challenge, as does good research. Effective programmes to prevent radicalisation cannot be developed without understanding how this radicalisation occurs in the first place.