Softer approaches critical to counter extremism in Asia

THE recent bombing of the Erawan shrine in Bangkok has exposed serious security threats for South-east Asian countries. It has highlighted the risks of illegal human trafficking, in this case in Asia's Uighur community, and the rise of militancy.

In a classic case of hardline measures proving counter-productive, the Uighurs, who are an ethnic minority in China, have been increasingly using South-east Asia as a transit zone in their bid to travel to Turkey to escape the Chinese government. China has long been criticised for the curtailment of the Uighurs' religious freedom, and the Uighurs say the hardline actions by authorities have driven their dissent and exodus.

The subsequent rise in the Uighurs' presence in South-east Asia, particularly Thailand, has led to their link-ups with local separatist militants in the region with similar grievances. This movement was said to be the driver of the bombing in Bangkok - with allegations that the attack was a revenge for the deportation of 109 Uighur Muslims bac…