Journal abstract
The diverse and complex nature of the terrorist challenge in Asia has meant that a variety of responses have been adopted by states in the region. They include the criminal justice approach to counter-terrorism, the war model of counter-terrorism and the waging of counterinsurgency operations. As the evaluation of responses by states in South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia demonstrates, regional states have calibrated their responses according to the level of the terrorist threat. The more serious insurgency threats have been countered through the use of classic counterinsurgency involving the use of military and paramilitary forces, while less serious terrorist challenges have been contained through the criminal justice system and the use of police and counter-terrorism forces. It is clear that political violence in the form of terrorism and insurgencies in Asia is an enduring and long-term challenge, which means that countering terrorism will always be a security challenge for a number of states in the region.