Southeast Asia

JAKARTA The United States has come to recognize that the fight against terrorism in Southeast Asia requires nuance and finesse because of the diversity of the countries in the region and the varying intensity of the problem in each.

States with a majority Muslim population, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, will act differently in facing the challenge of terrorism than those with smaller numbers of Muslims, such as Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. Other members of the Association of South East Asian Nations fall in between. They have a substantial minority of Muslims who can be quite militant, as in the Philippines, Thailand and to a lesser extent Singapore. The Philippines and Indonesia have domestic insurgencies that cannot be linked directly to the global terrorist network of Al Qaeda. Lumping fundamentalists together with global terrorism might be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Some leaders in extreme Islamic political groups may have links to Al Qaeda, but not all. Distinguishing between them is essential to avoid creating heroes within the terrorist camp.

Counterterrorist operations need to be conducted in accord with the rule of law and appropriate transparency to protect human rights. In the end, only democracy will serve as an antidote to fighting radicalism and extremism. Of course, there are instances in which military efforts may be required, especially in emergencies and cases like Afghanistan under the Taliban.

In Indonesia, the main struggle is to establish democracy. The most important contribution Indonesia can make to regional security is to maintain its moderate, open and balanced Islam, based on a functioning democracy and viable economic development. If it does this, it could become a model for other Muslim countries including those in the Middle East.

The better the United States understands the diversity of ASEAN, the better it can combat global terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them. In the end, this is an all-encompassing struggle whose ideas and visions must find acceptance, especially among Muslims.

Radical views, coupled with despair stemming from a sense of injustice, poverty and alienation, could produce an explosive situation. This is why education by moderate Islamic schools is so important and must be supported.

Muhammadiyah is the second largest Muslim organization in Indonesia, with more than 30 million members, 60 universities and 14,000 schools. The latter are on a par with public schools but need assistance to improve the education they offer.

Broad-based economic development in Southeast Asia is the key to reinforcing regional security and stability. The Bush administration can help revive the regional economy through U.S. aid, trade and investment.

Despair and poverty are not the only reasons for terrorism, but they are a basic ingredient. This reality has not been given enough attention.

The writer, founder and a member of the Board of Trustees of Indonesia's Center for Strategic and International Studies, contributed this comment to the International Herald Tribune.