Terrorism in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, 1970 to 2008

In this paper we use the Global Terrorism Database to examine terrorist attacks from 1970 to 2008 in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. In support of a special effects model, terrorism trends and characteristics in each country are distinctive. 77 percent of all terrorism in Thailand occurred between 2004 and 2008, peaking in 2007. In contrast, since the Jemaah Islamiya suicide bombings in Kuta, Bali in 2002, the frequency of terrorist activity in Indonesia has declined dramatically. Terrorism in the Philippines has been a considerable threat continuously since the late 1970s, with an average of over 80 attacks per year since 2000. In short, in the Philippines terrorism is more dispersed and constant than in Indonesia and Thailand.