1 Ahmad-Norma Permata, "Muslim Insurgencies in Southeast Asia: Intractability, Security Dilemma, and the "Islamic Factor"", Global & Strotegis, Th I, No 2, Juli-Desem her 2007, 62-82. Muslim Insurgencies in Southeast Asia: Intractability, Security Dilemma, a nd the "Islamic Factor' Ahmad-Norma Permata PhD Candidate di Institute fuer Potitikwissensehaft, Univerity of Muenster, Germany. Muslims constitute almost a half of Southeast Asian population, yet studies on the subject done by political scientists are still few. Students of political science tend to perceive Islam as merely a thin veneer of the more real characteristics of Southeast Asian societies, and that it has played little role in the political dynamics of the region. Closer analyses show that Islam does play —at least three— significant roles in the conflicts. First, it gives those Muslim communities historical identities, that they were politically independent communities fell under colonial occupations and then trapped as parts of s ecular nation-states. Secondly, Islam supplies concepts and terms that are very effective to mobilise mass support, i.e. that the insurgencies are not only political and economic conflicts against unjust and oppressive governments but rather a holy war Jihad— against the enemies of God. Finally, Islam provides international networks that enabled the insurgences internationalized their causes. Given the fact that Islam contributes several factors to the insurgencies among Muslims in Southeast Asia, every effort to solve the conflicts must take Islam into consideration. Keywords: muslim insurgencies, armed conflict, intractability. • I am grateful to Prof. Reinhard Meyers and Dr. Cage Banseca of the Institute for Political Science, University of Muenster, and Dr. Soe Tjen Marching of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London, for their invaluable comments and suggestions for this article.