Is militant Islamism a busted flush in Indonesia?

Abstract

In the late 1990s, Indonesia - the world’s most populous Muslim nation - began a transition from authoritarian rule. At the time, many commentators expressed concern about the security threat posed by militant Islamist extremists in the wake of Suharto’s downfall. Initially, Indonesia did witness a proliferation of Islamist paramilitary groups and a heightened security environment. Yet, in the decade and more since then, the dire threat predictions have largely failed to materialize. In fact, Indonesia today in coordination with international partners has reduced its potential climate of threat at least strategically. This outcome raises some interesting questions. First, has Indonesia really contained its paramilitary/extremist threat? Secondly, if so, how and what lessons, if any, can we draw from this? The following paper examines the ways in which Indonesia’s security concerns have actually diminished.