Refining the Importance of Audience in Securitization: Southeast Asia’s Fight against Terrorism

Febrica, Senia (2017) Refining the Importance of Audience in Securitization: Southeast Asia’s Fight against Terrorism. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Global Counterterrorism Policy :. Palgrave, pp. 703-731. ISBN 9781137557681

Abstract

This chapter explains the varying outcomes of the securitization of terrorism among three Southeast Asian countries: Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. At one end of the spectrum the Philippines has been an outspoken supporter of the US war on terror campaign in the region and Singapore, although quietly, has displayed decisive intervention in dealing with terrorism. At the other end, in contrast to the Philippines and Singapore, Malaysia has distanced itself from the US global war against terrorism. This chapter evaluates the three Southeast Asian countries’ strategies in addressing threats posed by land and maritime terrorism. Using the Copenhagen School’s securitization approach as a point of departure, this chapter argues that the characteristics of these countries’ domestic politics inform the successful securitization outcome and responses. This chapter not only sheds light on the securitization of terrorism in non-Western democratic countries, it will also refine the concept of audience in securitization. The proposed strategy uses some insights from Gourevitch’s work, incorporating domestic context to analyze the securitization outcomes.