The September 11 and Political Freedom: Asian Perspectives focuses on political developments in the region following 9/11. In this new volume, arising from a conference of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats on globalisation, thinkers and observers of the region review the impact of 9/11 on the development of democracy and freedom in Asia. Collectively, these 11 essays reflect the 'after-shocks' being felt in the Asian region from the 9/11 attack.

To fight terrorism means not to allow it to be successful. The strange logic of terror is that if the US does retaliate by bombing some countries on its list, innocent lives will again be lost. In the eyes of many, it will be considered another incident of terror.


- Chaiwat Satha Anand





The root cause of violence may be found in the alienation, dualism, and antagonism generated by systemic marginalisation of vast segments of the world population... We must establish a more democratic and just global governance. We must pledge to a new rule of international law. No nation, large or small, should be exempted from the rule of international law. Unilateralism is not a legitimate answer to global problems.


- Majid Tehranian





Civil society in a number of Southeast Asian countries has been arguing for a paradigm shift in managing the affairs of the state and society, from an obsession with state security to a greater understanding of and focus on human society... The September 11 terrorist attack, which has unwittingly drawn in Southeast Asia, will complicate and frustrate the efforts towards that paradigm shift.


- Hadi Soesastro





Whether Asian governments choose to adopt a more multilateral approach... or whether, they continue to rely more on Washington-centric bilateral engagement while the US descends into the depths of dark isolationism, in order to address the global problem of terrorism, will determine not only their success in fighting terrorism over the longer term, but also, how they are viewed by the rest of the international community.


- Lyal Sunga





What September 11 has demonstrated is that even while the information we have about another and ourselves has increased exponentially in recent years, our mutual comprehension of one another and ourselves may well have grossly deteriorated in quality.


- Subroto Roy





9/11 as reviewed by some of Asia's leading commentators.

Notes on Contributors





Acknowledgements





Introduction


September 11 and Political Freedom: Asian Perspectives


by James Gomez and Alan Smith





CHPatER 1 : GLOBALISATION POST 9/11 CHALLENGES


FOR LIBERALS


by Kevin Hewison





CHPatER 2 : MITIGATING THE SUCCESS OF TERRORISM


WITH THE POLITICS OF TRUTH AND


JUSTICE


by Chaiwat Satha-Anand





CHPatER 3 : THE CENTER CANNOT HOLD: TERRORISM


AND GLOBAL CHANGE


by Majid Tehranian





CHPatER 4 : GLOBAL TERRORISM: IMPLICATIONS FOR


STATE AND HUMAN SECURITY


by Hadi Soesastro





CHPatER 5 : THE NEW TERRORISM: HOW SOUTHEAST


ASIA CAN COUNTER IT


by Andre Tan





CHPatER 6 : The us foreign policy of praetorian


unilateralism and the implications


for southeast asia


by Kumar Ramakrishna





CHPatER 7 : SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WAR AGAINST


TERRORISM: THE RISE OF ISLAMISM AND


THE CHALLENGE TO THE SURVEILLANCE


STATE


by David Martin Jones & Mike Lawrence Smith





CHPatER 8 : pROBLEM INHERENT AT SOURCE: THE


COMMUNICATION MEDIA IN POST 9/11


SOUTHEAST ASIA


by Jonathan Woodier





CHPatER 9 : 9/11 anti-terrorist measures and


their impact on human rights in asia


by Sinapan Samydorai





CHPatER 10 : US ANTI-TERRORISM POLICY AND ASIA'S


OPTIONS


by Lyal Sunga





CHPatER 11 : TOWARDS A GENERAL THEORY OF


GLOBALISATION AND TERRORISM


by Subroto Roy