Stronger ASEAN cooperation sought to tackle online youth radicalization

A recent study highlights that exposure to violent content online increases risks of radicalization, necessitating proactive measures from parents, educators, and authorities

AT A GLANCE

• Experts emphasize the need for ASEAN countries to collaborate in addressing online radicalization among youth and preventing violence.
• Regional cooperation can enhance research exchanges and practical measures, focusing on education and community projects to build youth resilience.

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BALI, Indonesia – Experts called for regional cooperation among ASEAN countries to address online radicalization affecting young people and the multiple pathways toward violence.

“There is value, I believe, in exploring a shared regional commitment, especially the leaders’ commitment to strengthening youth resilience and preventing violence,” I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN IPR) executive director, told Rappler on Monday, October 12.

According to Puja, regional cooperation would enhance exchanges of research and effective practices as countries grapple with the radicalization of young people.

“Rather than just focusing only on adoptions of agreements or producing documents, declarations of covenants, whatsoever, we should consider how such a commitment should be translated into more practical measures in which youth can benefit from,” the Indonesian diplomat added.

School shootings occurred in the parts of the Philippines between June and September 2026. Indonesia recorded two separate school bombings in 2025 and 2026. Puja mentioned preventive measures through education, digital literacy efforts, and community projects.

Regional cooperation can take different layers, according to Bora Park, research fellow at Seoul-based Institute for National Security Strategy.

“[Governments] can share the intelligence about the emerging threats or the specific dangerous people or the organizations,” Bora said in a separate interview Monday.

Other layers Bora noted are interactions between practitioners and researchers, among grassroots organizers where they can share knowledge and lessons learned.

In 2017, ASEAN adopted the Manila Declaration to Counter the Rise of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism which puts strong focus on the reintegration of individuals from extremist networks to society. This was followed by a plan of action in 2018.

Prevention remains a complex task

A recently issued baseline study from ASEAN IPR said online spaces act as multiplier of the conditions from which young people’s personal and political grievances come from.

Networks such as True Crime Community and 764 glorify violence regardless of any formal ideological framework.

“The violence is becoming more accessible and more visible among young people nowadays,” Lee Chul, ambassador of the Republic of Korea to ASEAN, said in an interview Monday.

”It no longer comes from the organized group with a clear doctrine or ideology. Nowadays young people are exposed to radicalization risk earlier than ever.”

South Korea is supporting a training program through the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund and in partnership with ASEAN IPR following the publication of the study. “This is an investment in the region’s long-term peace and security,” Lee said.

The study nuanced that exposure to violent acts does not necessarily translate to violent acts.

“Exposure alone rarely produces violence; active seeking, algorithmic reinforcement, and communities that validate hostility are what convert exposure into commitment,” the study read.

Young people’s easy access to violent ideas makes it harder for authorities to prevent the phenomenon.

In their study, ASEAN IPR recommended that authorities recognize, and address accordingly, “that hate speech, discrimination and gender-based violence normalize violence long before extremism appears.”

Parents, teachers, and health care workers should be taught to “recognize early signs of distress and of hardening attitudes.” (READ: Amid rising school violence, citizens pitch solutions to keep children safe)

Human rights education should be developed and figure prominently in this conversation, according to the think tank. Moreover, the scope of violent radicalization should be clarified, so as not to be confused with legitimate protests among the youth. – Rappler.com