Security Perspectives of the Malay Archipelago

Security Linkages in the Second Front in the War on Terrorism

Andrew T.H. Tan, Professor, Department of Security Studies and Criminology, Macquarie University, Australia

The Malay Archipelago – namely Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines – has recently risen in prominence as the ‘second front’ in the war on terrorism. This study argues that the Malay Archipelago constitutes a distinct sub-regional security complex within Southeast Asia due to the existence of patterns of amity and enmity, as well as transnational terrorism linkages.

‘The states inhabiting the Malay Archipelago, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, face a bewildering array of security challenges. These countries vary enormously in size, and they are bound together by history and by a diverse array of ethnic and communal connections. Today, they face potential dangers from each other, from external powers, and from domestic extremists, and they have sought to address these threats partly through national preparedness and partly through multilateral cooperation. Using the useful concept of a regional security complex, Andrew Tan’s clear and careful study illuminates the diverse perceptions of these different states and shows how the security of each one remains tightly linked to the conditions and actions of the others. His book is both a valuable survey of this important region and a major contribution to our understanding of regional security.’
– Stephen M. Walt, Harvard University, US

‘Using unique insights gained from extensive research, Andrew Tan, the respected Southeast Asianist, has written a timely book on the Malay archipelago security complex. In Security Perspectives of the Malay Archipelago, Andrew Tan examines the post-9/11 security architecture in Southeast Asia, designated the second front in the war against terrorism. Mapping the evolution of security relations between the Malay archipelago states, he focuses on both conventional and unconventional threats. Professor Tan’s book is a must read for those concerned with the future of Southeast Asia.’
– Rohan Gunaratna, author of Inside Al Qaeda and currently heads the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, Singapore

的一个重要和简明的书,提醒我们of the need to assess the struggle against terrorism in terms of states, their character, their history, their internal problems and their relations with their regional neighbours.’
– Nicholas Tarling, Emeritus Professor of History, New Zealand Asia Institute, The University of Auckland, New Zealand