https://asiaconflictwatch.com/links/2026-03-06T13:27:16+00:00weekly0.6https://asiaconflictwatch.com/about-2/2025-05-29T18:36:14+00:00weekly0.6https://asiaconflictwatch.com/contact/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fbf4_vawaaqghid-2853139077-e1674819836226.jpghttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/20210621_173539-e1638820202353.jpg20210621_1735392024-12-18T22:31:24+00:00weekly0.6https://asiaconflictwatch.com/philippines-ied-map/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/philippines-ied-map-2022.jpgPhilippines IED map 2022https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/philippines_iedmap2023.jpgPhilippines_IEDmap20232024-12-18T18:37:57+00:00weekly0.6https://asiaconflictwatch.com/2024/02/19/after-marawi-blast-assessing-the-dawlah-islamiyah-threat-in-the-philippines/2024-07-08T18:04:18+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2023/09/07/southern-thailand-peace-dialogue-stalls-amid-post-election-political-tumult/2023-09-07T12:28:14+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2023/06/15/after-jose-maria-sisons-death-is-the-new-peoples-army-crumbling/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/npa-5.jpgThe administration of “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has the NPA in its sights, four decades after his father’s failed quest to end the insurgency under martial law. (Image Source: PCCO)2023-06-15T13:32:20+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2023/02/08/the-fading-fight-of-the-mautes-and-dawlah-islamiyah-in-the-philippines/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/maute-1.jpgAirstrikes conducted by the Philippine Air Force have weakened the Maute group in Lanao del Sur and the BIFF in Maguindanao. (Image source: Diego Roxas)2023-02-08T17:19:58+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2022/12/29/gauging-the-strength-of-myanmars-anti-coup-resistance-forces/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/myanmar-pdfs-3.jpgConflict erupted in Bamar areas for the first time in generations, after the military deposed Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in February 2021. (Image source: MgHla)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/myanmar-pdfs-2.jpgPolice and military forces loyal to junta chief Gen. Min Aung Hlaing have been stretched by the uprising by People's Defense Forces in Myanmar's central plains. (Image source: Adam Jones)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/myanmar-pdfs-1.jpgSince the February 2021 coup, People's Defence Forces have been backed by ethnic armed groups, including the Kachin Independence Army, to oppose the junta. (Image source: Paul Vrieze)2022-12-29T13:45:52+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2022/08/18/abu-sayyaf-under-rising-pressure-in-southern-philippines-maritime-borderlands/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/asg-3.jpgWith the 40,000 rebels of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front disarming, only Abu Sayyaf and a few other radical Islamist groups are left fighting. (Image Source: Geneva Call)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/asg-1.jpgTrilateral naval patrols by the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia in the Sulu Sea since 2017 have restricted the transit of Abu Sayyaf fighters (Image Source: US Pacific Fleet)2022-08-18T16:26:18+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2022/05/07/duterte-passes-the-philippines-maoist-rebellion-on-to-the-next-president/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/npa-4.jpgIf he wins the presidency, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is likely to continue Duterte's policies toward the NPA, having voiced support for local talks through the NTF-ELCAC. (Image Source: Bongbong Marcos)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/npa-2.jpgRebel ambushes on Philippine troops delivering humantiarian aid to those affected by natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, further soured relations between the NPA and the government. (Image Source: US Embassy Jakarta)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/npa-1.jpgRodrigo Duterte vowed to end the insurgency via peaceful means during the 2016 election campaign, but talks collapsed a year into his presidency. (Image Source: Prachatai)2022-05-07T18:53:08+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2021/10/21/how-militarization-and-cycles-of-violence-fuel-separatism-in-southern-thailand/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/thailand-2-1.jpgMuslims in Thailand's four southern provinces have lived under emergency rule since 2005, when the government of Thaksin Shinawatra was in power. (Image source: Udeyismail)2021-12-06T19:24:28+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2021/12/06/what-delayed-elections-mean-for-the-southern-philippines-bangsamoro-peace-process/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/barmm-2.jpgBARMM (2)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/barmm-4.jpgViolence involving Islamist militant groups in the southern Philippines has decreased since the inauguration of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in 2019. (Image source: BARMM Parliament)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/barmm-5.jpgApproximately 40,000 Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels will disarm in exchange for livelihood support. The process was delayed by COVID-19. (Image Source: Mark Navales)2021-12-06T19:20:36+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2021/07/20/papua-braced-for-violence-as-indonesia-vows-to-crush-separatists/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/papua-4.jpgPapuans have protested for independence since 1969, when the flawed ''Act of Free Choice'' saw just 1,025 Papuans allowed to vote on the status of the region. (Image Source: AK Rockefeller)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/papua-2.jpgThe Indonesian military, seen here in a joint exercise with US forces, has retained a stranglehold over Papua since the ''Act of Free Choice'' in 1969. (Image Source: US Embassy Jakarta)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/papua-3.jpgAfter the assassination of a regional intelligence chief in April, Indonesia deployed 400 troops to Papua from the 315/Garuda battalion (Image Source: U.S. Army)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/papua-1.jpgIndonesian President Joko Widodo had ordered the military and police to ''pursue and arrest'' armed rebels in an intensified crackdown in Papua. (Image Source: uyeah)2021-07-20T13:11:18+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2021/06/15/dutertes-red-tagging-risks-igniting-the-philippines-maoist-insurgency/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/philippines-npa-1-1.jpgThe NPA has fought a "protracted people's war" in the Philippines since the 1970s, based on the ideology of its founder Jose Maria Sison. (Image source: Christian Razukas)2021-06-15T14:17:04+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2021/04/19/will-the-makassar-suicide-bombing-spark-a-new-wave-of-terror-in-indonesia/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/indonesia-2.jpgIndonesia's deadliest terror attack occurred in 2002, when Jemaah Islamiyah killed 202 people in bomb attacks targeting nightclubs on the resort island of Bali. (Image Source: antwerpenR)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/indonesia-1-1.jpgIndonesia has experienced renews attacks by Islamist militants since an ISIS-inspired gun and bomb attack on Jakarta's Thamrin business district in 2016. (Image Source: Jondon99)2021-04-19T18:30:53+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2021/03/15/tatmadaw-coup-leaves-myanmars-peace-process-on-a-precipice/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/myanmar-6.jpgFour Union Peace Conferences were held under the NLD government, yet only two further armed groups signed the nationwide ceasefire. (Image Source: Htoo Tay Zar)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/myanmar-7.jpgA delegate attending the first Union Peace Conference under NLD rule, held from 31 August to 4 September 2016. (Image Source: UN)2021-03-15T14:34:42+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2021/02/01/in-thailands-deep-south-covid-19-leaves-peace-talks-with-the-brn-on-hold/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/s-thailand-3-1.jpgViolence declined in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but toward the end of the year a rising number of skirmishes between the Thai military and BRN rebels took place (Image: udeyismail)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/s-thailand-4-1.jpgA dialogue process between the Thai government and Mara Patani up to 2019 stagnated as negotiators were unable to prevent BRN attacks. (Image Source: Prachatai)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/s-thailand-1.jpgTalks in 2020 were the first between BRN rebels and the Thai Government led by former Junta chief Prayut Chan-ocha (Image Source: UN Women)2021-02-01T19:26:58+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2020/11/15/family-ties-and-new-recruits-abu-sayyaf-proves-hard-to-dislodge-in-the-philippines/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/abu-sayyaf-1-1.jpgAbu Sayyaf (1)2020-11-15T18:39:52+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2020/09/21/beyond-the-narrative-of-progress-in-myanmars-panglong-peace-initiative/2020-09-21T12:08:02+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2020/07/07/delays-to-rebuilding-marawi-threaten-a-fragile-peace-in-the-philippines-barmm/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/marawi-2020-3.jpgMarawi, known as the 'Islamic city', is of high symbolic importance to the Moro Muslim population. Rebuilding the city will be key to peace efforts in Mindanao. (Image Source: Suhayla)2020-07-07T12:51:27+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2020/06/30/in-laos-survivors-of-us-bombs-rebuild-their-lives-and-limbs/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/9.jpgUS bombers flew 580,000 sorties over Laos in just nine years. (Image Source: USAF)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/7.jpgAn estimated 8.7-million hectares of land in Laos remain contaminated by war remnants.https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/6.jpgImprovised prosthetics, some fashioned from raw materials by their wearers, are among those on display at COPE-CMR in Vientiane.https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/3.jpgHunting for scrap metal risks disturbing unexploded ordnance. (Image Source: Adam Jones)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/5.jpgAfter referral via a mobile clinic, Mr Mai received a custom-made prosthesis. (Image Source: COPE)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/4.jpgMr Mai lost his arm to a roadside blast in Xieng Khouang in 2015. (Image Source: COPE)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2.jpgEach cluster bomb casing dispersed as many as 760 ‘bombies’ over a wide area.https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/1.jpgUS bombers flew 580,000 sorties over Laos in just nine years. (Image Source: USAF/Wikimedia Commons) 2020-07-07T12:50:46+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2020/04/27/why-indonesias-papua-insurgency-has-reached-a-strategic-stalemate/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/papua-3.jpgRegional power Australia supports Indonesia's control of Papua. Indonesian President Joko Widodo is seen here with Australia's PM Scott Morrison. (Image Source: Australian Embassy Jakarta)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/papua-2-e1587989749692.jpgProtests last August were sparked by the arrest of Papuan students, alleged to have desecrated an Indonesian flag, in Surabaya. The students were subjected to racial taunts by nationalists after the incident. (Image Source: Papua Glossary)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/papua-1.jpgIndonesian deployed an additional 1,000 military personnel to Papua after protests erupted across the region in August 2019. (Image Source: USAF/Richard Ebensberger)2020-04-27T12:56:11+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2020/03/12/after-duterte-scraps-vfa-what-next-for-the-us-philippine-security-alliance/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/vfa-4.jpgThe VFA - which acts as the legal framework governing the presence of US troops in the Philippines - was signed in 1998. The allies also have a Mutual Defence Treaty dating back to the 1950s. (Image Source: US DoD).https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/vfa-2.jpgPhilippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin sent the US formal notice of President Duterte's decision to cancel the VFA on 11 February. (Image Source: US Marine Corps, Staff Sgt. Chanelcherie K. DeMello)2020-03-12T16:46:36+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2020/02/03/is-dutertes-latest-peace-overture-to-the-npa-another-false-dawn/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/npa-2020-2.jpgIslamist militant groups in the BARMM are declining in strength as their areas of operation are squeezed by the Philippine military. (Image Source: Matthew Hulett)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/npa-2020-1.jpgThe practice of labelling political opponents as communist sympathizers, known as 'red-tagging', has proliferated under President Duterte. (Image Source: PCOO)2020-02-03T13:07:37+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2019/12/18/could-the-islamic-state-rebound-in-the-philippines/2019-12-18T14:37:23+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2019/10/14/what-next-for-myanmars-divided-peace-process/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/myanmar-pp-2.jpgMyanmar PP (2)Despite State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi serving as Myanmar's de-factor leader, the Tatmadaw retains a dominant influence over politics, particularly in the areas of internal security and defence (Image Source: Adam Jones)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/myanmar-pp-1.jpg2019-10-14T04:47:36+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2019/08/27/amid-myanmars-internal-strife-landmines-are-a-hidden-killer/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/myanmar-landmines-2.jpgCivilians are disproportionately affected by landmine blasts. Explosions often occur on farmland and on remote forest paths, killing and maiming farmers, villagers and children. (Image Source: ICBL)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/myanmar-landmines-1.jpgMore than 20 ethnic armed organizations have fought the Tatmadaw in border areas since Myanmar's independence in 1948. (Image Source: pxhere)2019-08-27T14:44:56+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2019/07/25/is-indias-nagaland-peace-process-nearing-a-breakthrough/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/nagaland-3.jpgThe NSCN-IM aims for a Naga region covering all Naga-inhabited areas in northeast India, while the NSCN-K envisions parts of Myanmar also being included. (Image Source: Sharada Prasad).https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/nagaland-2.jpegAt the height of the insurgency in the 1950s and 1960s, Naga rebels regularly fought government troops. Since 1975, a succession of peace deals and ceasefires have reduced violence. (Image Source: Antônio Milena).https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/nagaland-1.jpgIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pursued peace talks with Naga rebels since coming to power in 2014. Modi was elected to serve a second term earlier this year. (Image Source: Al Jazeera).2019-07-25T12:13:18+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2019/06/03/deciphering-the-jihadist-threat-to-the-philippines-bangsamoro-peace-process/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/bangsamoro-4.jpgThe Islamic State-linked Maute group, now led by Abu Zacaria, has been in decline since most of its fighters were killed in the 2017 siege of Marawi. (Image Source: Mark Jhomel)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/bangsamoro-3.jpgThe 30,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front has pledged to disband and disarm its insurgent force before transitioning into a political party (Image Source: PCOO)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/bangsamoro-2.jpgThe Bangsamoro region is to be led during a three year transition period by Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim (Image Source: Joey Razon, PNA)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/bangsamoro-1.jpgThe Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR), ratified in a public vote in early-2019, allows greater autonomy for Moro Muslims living in western Mindanao (Image Source: Philippine News Agency)2019-06-03T17:24:40+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2019/04/19/vietnams-struggle-to-overcome-the-legacy-of-us-bombs/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/vietnam-uxo-5.jpgFour decades after the war ended, more than 15% of Vietnam's land area is estimated to be contaminated with UXO. The Vietnamese government predicts the clean-up will tale more than a century, and cost up to US$10bn. (Image Source: USAF)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/vietnam-uxo-6.jpgSince restoring diplomatic ties in 1995, the US and Vietnam have enjoyed a growing bilateral relationship centred on defence and security co-operation. (Image Source: US Embassy Vietnam)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/vietnam-uxo-2.jpgThe US is the largest foreign donor supporting de-mining efforts in Vietnam, investing at least US$119.3m between 1993-2017. (Image Source: USAID)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/vietnam-uxo-1.jpgSince the early-1990s, a network international NGOs have been working to clear UXO in Vietnam alongside state-run agencies and the Vietnamese military. (Image Source: USAID)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/vietnam-uxo-3.jpgUXO survivors often sustain life-changing injuries as a result of shrapnel wounds, including loss of eyesight and loss of limbs. More than 100,00 have been killed or injured by UXO explosions in Vietnam since the war ended. (Image Source: James Hathaway)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/vietnam-uxo-4.jpgIn an eight-year aerial campaign between 1965-1973, US warplanes dropped 800,000 tonnes of munitions, striking at least 55 of Vietnam’s 63 provinces and cities. (Image Source: US Navy)2019-04-19T14:26:13+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2019/03/13/southern-thailands-fractured-peace-process-reaches-a-crossroads/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/thailand-2.jpgSince a coup led by Prayuth Chan-ocha in 2014, his Junta and then quasi-civilian government have made little progress in talks with southern rebels. (Image Source: Takeaway).https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/thailand-1.jpgThailand's ruling military Junta, led by Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha, began peace talks with the Mara Patani rebel grouping in 2015, yet little progress has been made (Image Source: SSG Teddy Wade)2019-03-13T17:59:36+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2019/01/09/why-aung-san-suu-kyi-will-struggle-to-revive-myanmars-stalling-peace-process/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/myanmar-4.jpgMore than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since a military crackdown began in mid-2017 in response to a spate of militant attacks on border posts (Image Source: Tasnim News Agency) https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/myanmar-3.jpgMyanmar's government met with the 10 signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in Naypyidaw from 19-21 August (Image Source: A. N. Soe, VOA) https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/myanmar-2.jpgClashes between army troops and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) rebels have intensified over the past year in several key mining townships in Myanmar’s north (Image Source: Paul Vrieze, VOA)2019-01-09T17:06:32+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2018/11/02/what-underlies-the-long-running-dispute-in-the-south-china-sea/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/scs-3.jpgThe United States conducted regular Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea under President Obama, sailing warships close to disputed islands (Image Source: US Navy)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/rsxzrrqisgdad3aks1tk8ahgqnw4ieyz.jpgUnder President Xi Jinping, China has been assertively pressed its claims in the disputed region through land reclamation, building army installations and conducting regular maritime patrols (Image Source: Russian Govt.)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/yikabkfemas4ux3yfszx8upiowb7ezz4.jpgYIKABKfemAS4uX3Yfszx8UPiOWB7EzZ4https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/scs-1.jpgChina claims all South China Sea waters within its self-imposed 'nine-dash line', including the Paracels and the Spratly Islands (Image Source: US Navy)2018-11-04T13:45:10+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2018/09/13/is-abu-sayyaf-making-a-comeback-in-the-philippines/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/asg-4.jpgThe Philippine military has deployed 10 battalions to Sulu province in an effort to prevent Abu Sayyaf from relaunching its campaign of terror (Image Source: PIA)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/asg-2.jpgPresident Duterte has vowed to destroy Abu Sayyaf while Martial Law remains in place across Mindanao until the end of 2018 (Image Source: PCOO)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/asg-1.jpgIslamic State-aligned Maute and BIFF militants now number in the low-hundreds, and have retreated to remote camps under pressure from Philippine troops. (Image source: US Navy)2018-09-13T13:36:11+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2018/08/16/has-the-shifting-islamic-state-threat-bypassed-india/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/india-2.jpgIndian security forces dismantled an IS cell active in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh after a train bombing injured 10 civilians in March 2017 (Image Source: US DoD)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/india-1.jpgIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cracked down on IS cells at home, but the country has not formally joined the US-led global anti-IS coalition (Image Source: US DoD)2018-08-16T12:32:13+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2018/07/16/liguasan-marsh-clashes-expose-the-latent-threat-from-isis-in-the-philippines/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/biff-51.jpghttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/asean-1.jpgAbu Sayyaf combined forces with the Maute group to lay siege to Marawi city in 2017. The militants were defeated by government troops after a gruelling five-month battle (Image Source: Mark Jhomel)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/biff-5.jpgPhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared Martial Law in Mindanao until the end of 2018 amid the threat from IS-linked groups (Image Source: PCOO)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/20170516_145506.jpg20170516_1455062018-07-16T16:32:59+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2018/06/08/indonesia-launches-anti-terror-crackdown-after-surabaya-church-bombings/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/surabaya-2.jpgAfter a recent surge in Islamist attacks, Indonesia's armed forces are set to play a greater role in counter-terrorism operations (Image Source: Kurniawan3115)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/surabaya-1.pngSince the attack in Makassar on 28 March, Indonesian counter-terrorism police have arrested several militants linked to JAD and seized bomb-making components. (Image Source: AWG97)2018-06-08T20:13:38+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2018/04/04/almost-a-year-since-isis-laid-siege-to-marawi-its-evacuated-residents-remain-at-the-centre-of-a-humanitarian-crisis/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/marawi-1.jpgThree years after the siege of Marawi, more than 120,000 residents remain displaced. (Image Source: Philippine Information Agency)2018-05-21T14:01:39+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2018/05/21/the-political-undertones-to-cambodias-unresolved-border-dispute-with-laos/2018-05-21T13:57:29+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2018/03/06/what-underlies-the-bangsamoro-islamic-freedom-fighters-campaign-of-terror-in-western-mindanao/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/biff-4.jpgPresident Duterte has extended Martial Law in Mindanao until the end of 2018 in an attempt to crackdown on the BIFF and other militant groups (Image Source: Philippine Government)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/biff-2.jpgMilitary operations against the BIFF have intensified in recent months in the provinces of Maguindanao and North Cotabato (Image Source: AFP)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/biff-3.jpgThe BIFF has its roots in Mindanao's long running Islamist separatist insurgency, but in recent years has fought under the banner of ISIS (Image Source: Keith Bacongco)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/biff-1.jpgSince the Marawi siege ended, Philippine troops have been battling the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and remnants of the Maute group in Mindanao (Image Source: Philippines Information Agency)2018-03-06T17:58:12+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2018/02/16/how-marawi-pushed-asean-nations-to-join-forces-to-tackle-terrorism/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/asean-5.jpgThe Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysian have begun conducting trilateral naval patrols in the Sulu Sea to prevent the movement of terror suspects. In this photo, Philippine troops are seen participating in a maritime training drill alongside US forces (Image Source: US Navy)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/asean-3.jpgThe heightened regional terrorism threat featured high on the agenda at the November 2017 ASEAN Summit held in Manila (Image Source: Presidential Communications Operations Office)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/asean-1.jpgBombing of Marawi CityIS-linked militants laid siege to Marawi city, Lanao del Sur province, for five months from May-October 2017. The conflict left more than 1,000 people dead, most of whom were militants (Image Source: Mark Jhomel) 2018-02-16T19:26:08+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2018/01/08/how-malaysias-counter-terror-strategy-has-kept-isis-in-check/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/malaysia-2.jpgMalaysia has so-far avoided suffering large-scale ISIS attacks, but militants returning from Syria, Iraq and Marawi pose a new risk (Image Source: Flickr, Luke Ma)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/malaysia-1.jpgDuring the tenure of Prime Minister Najib Razak, Malaysia has introduced a raft of new counter-terrorism laws (Image Source: World Economic Forum)2018-02-16T19:21:57+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2017/12/11/the-long-road-to-justice-for-sri-lankas-civil-war-victims/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sri-lanka-1.jpgPresident Maithripala Sirisena's government has implemented reforms since coming to power in January 2015, but a UN-backed war crimes tribunal is yet to be established (Image Source: Russian Government)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sri-lanka-2.jpgDuring the final weeks of Sri Lanka's civil war in 2009, around 80,000 displaced civilians became trapped between Tamil Tiger rebels and advancing government troops (Image Source: trokilinochchi)2017-12-12T13:03:00+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2017/11/24/is-bangladesh-succeeding-in-its-battle-against-islamist-militants/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/bangladesh-3.jpgWhilst terrorism remains a concern in Bangladesh, a repeat attack on the scale of the Dhaka cafe assault has so-far been avoided (Image Source: Souvik.arco)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/bangladesh-2.jpgPM Sheikh Hasina denies that ISIS has a presence in Bangladesh, blaming attacks on local JMB militants (Image Source: DFID)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/bangladesh-1.jpgBangladesh launched an anti-terror crackdown in the wake of the July 2016 siege on a Dhaka cafe (Image Source: Jubair1985, Wikimedia Commons)2017-11-24T10:12:59+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2017/09/03/balochistan-seven-decades-of-insurgency-in-pakistans-restive-south/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/balochistan-2.jpgQuetta, Balochistan. The resource-rich province is home to 12 million residents in Pakistan's southwest, bordering Iran and Afghanistan. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/balochistan-1.jpgThe proposed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, linking Xinjiang to Gwadar Port (pictures) has raised tensions over development in Balochistan (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)2017-11-17T20:12:46+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2017/10/23/philippines-communist-insurgency-rhetoric-heats-up-as-peace-negotiations-remain-stalled/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/npa-2.jpgSince the breakdown of peace talks and the collapse of separate ceasefires in February, NPA attacks against government troops have become more frequent (Image Source: Philippines Information Agency)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/npa-1.jpgPresident Duterte vowed when elected to pursue peace talks with the CPP-NPA, aimed at ending one of the world's longest-running communist insurgencies (Image Source: PCOO)2017-11-15T12:08:25+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2016/05/02/challenges-to-sustainable-democracy-in-myanmar-internal-conflicts-and-human-rights-abuses/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/8280610831_4c7d3459a9_o.jpg8280610831_4c7d3459a9_oAn estimated 150,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since 2012, where they have faced decades of discrimination and denial of full citizenship rights (Image Source: FCO)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/article-10-1-myanmar.jpgArticle 10 (1) MyanmarAung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide majority in November’s parliamentary elections (Image Source: Wikipedia, Claude Truong-Ngoc; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Remise_du_Prix_Sakharov_%C3%A0_Aung_San_Suu_Kyi_Strasbourg_22_octobre_2013-04.jpg) 2017-11-15T10:54:54+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2016/12/20/poverty-violence-and-underdevelopment-tracing-the-history-of-indias-naxalite-conflict/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/naxal-2.jpegnaxal-2A 2009 operation by the Indian military pushed back the Maoists into remote jungle areas; however they have continued to launch attacks against security forces (Source: Mannat Sharma, Agencia Brasil; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_Army-Madras_regiment.jpeg)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/naxal-1.pngnaxal-1The Naxalites are present in large swathes of territory across rural central and eastern India, spanning an area which has become known as the ‘Red Corridor’ (Source: M Tracy Hunter, Wikipedia; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:India_map_Naxal_Left-wing_violence_or_activity_affected_districts_2013.SVG) 2017-11-15T10:53:01+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2017/04/08/indonesia-unmoved-by-west-papua-independence-struggle/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/west-papua-3.jpgThe campaign for West Papua’s independence has gathered pace in recent years, with an increasing number of demonstrations being held. (Image Source: Nichollas Harrison) https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/west-papua-2.jpgWest Papua is located in eastern Indonesia. It borders Papua New Guinea to the west, and is separated from northern Australia by the Arafura Sea (Image Source: US Library of Congress) https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/west-papua-1.jpgIndonesia has exercised sovereignty over West Papua since a disputed 1969 UN-backed referendum. President Joko Widodo’s position is supported by neighbouring Australia (Image Source: DFAT, Timothy Tobing)2017-11-15T10:47:18+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2017/07/19/dokdo-takeshima-islands-south-korea-and-japans-intractable-maritime-dispute/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dokdo-takeshima-21.pngThe long-held views of both countries regarding the dispute are not expected to change, despite the election of new South Korean president Moon Jae-In (Image Source: Flickr, ROK) https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dokdo-takeshima-2.pngDokdo-Takeshima (2)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dokdo-takeshima.jpgThe disputed islets are located in the Sea of Japan – also known as the East Sea – approximately half-way between Japan and South Korea (Image Source: Flickr, ROK)2017-11-15T10:47:01+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.com/2017/08/01/four-decades-on-laos-still-grapples-with-vietnam-war-legacy/https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/laos-obama.jpegPresident Obama visited Laos in September 2016, pledging $90 million in funding to aid clearance efforts over the next three years (Image Source: White House Archives)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20170516_145049.jpgIn the past 20 years, UXO-Lao has conducted more than 11,000 risk education visits to villages in the most heavily-contaminated areas, warning 3 million Laotians of the dangers of UXO (Image Source: Geopolitical Conflict)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20170516_141257.jpg20170516_141257https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20170516_144941.jpgMore than 260 million cluster bomblets were dropped on Laos in the nine years between 1964-1973. Around 80 million failed to detonate on impact, and now litter the countryside (Image Source: Geopolitical Conflict)https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20170517_135521.jpgDuring the US bombing campaign from 1964-1973, aircraft flew 580,000 sorties and dropped two million tonnes of ordnance on Laos (Image Source: Geopolitical Conflict) https://asiaconflictwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20170516_145506.jpgThe national clearance agency - UXO Lao - has been working for two decades with international NGOs to clear unexploded bombs left behind from the Vietnam War. (Image Source: Geopolitical Conflict)2017-11-15T10:45:38+00:00monthlyhttps://asiaconflictwatch.comdaily1.02026-03-06T13:27:16+00:00