Despite this there has been a general resolution to fight terrorism - in June and August of 2003, an ASEAN conference of regional leaders came together, with the US and signed a Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism. Australia, which was an ardent supporter on the "war on terror", thus, has had an improvement in the relationships with Southeast Asian nations despite some reluctance from some nations. .
At present, there are an estimated 230 million Muslims in Southeast Asia; a majority of them are in Indonesia, thus making it the world's largest Muslim nation. Australia's relations with Indonesia, prior to the "war on terror" was repairing after the Tampa incident. With the onset of the "war on terror", Indonesia had fears of upsetting the Muslim majority and so denied intelligence reports from its neighbours and the United States about the existence of Islamic terrorist cells in the country. It was not until the bombing of "soft targets" in Bali on the 12th of October 2002, that the authorities finally acknowledge the problem. The main organisation which has been linked to Al Qaeda is Jemaah Islamiyah meaning "Islamic Group" which goal was to form a pan-Southeast Asian Islamic state stretching from Malaysia through Indonesia, to southern Philippines, and including Singapore and Brunei. Indonesia's efforts in the war on terror has produced many results - with members of JI responsible for the Bali Bombings being sentenced to death and there has been increased cooperation with external parties - including Australian, American, British and Japanese input. Furthermore, Indonesia, in a dangerous bid for international favour, Abu Bakar Bashir - Spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah faced police questioning over Christian church bombings across Indonesia in 2000, only to be released without charge. However, other sources believe that Indonesia has not done enough as JI still has not been designated a terror organisation and Indonesia has no conspiracy laws.
