By JIM GOMEZ, Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines - Anti-terrorism crackdowns in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines may force Muslim extremists to seek safer havens and develop logistical bases in Thailand and Myanmar, according to a confidential report.

Members of the Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiyah also have been detected in three Australian cities, said the report, which was obtained by The Associated Press in the Philippines on Wednesday. The report on the threat of Muslim extremism in Southeast Asia was presented by Singapore authorities during a security conference with Philippine officials last month.

Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore have arrested dozens of suspected Jemaah Islamiyah members and leaders in recent months, seizing explosives and uncovering alleged attack plots in a region increasingly viewed as a major front in the U.S.-led global war on terrorism.

Indonesia, criticized in the past as having a soft stance on terrorism, took tougher steps after bomb attacks blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah killed nearly 200 people, mostly foreign tourists, on the resort island of Bali last month. Jakarta has been wary of cracking down hard on suspected terrorists because of a feared backlash from hard-line Muslim constituencies.

The report said terrorism remains a threat in the region but that some countries that cracked down early, such as Malaysia and Singapore, have generally put the problem under control.

"The problem is most serious in Indonesia, where the Bali attacks have highlighted the dangerous consequences of giving extremists the leeway to organize and expand," the report said.

It said that in Thailand - where there is no concrete evidence of a Jemaah Islamiyah cell - members of the group have bought arms and explosives from Muslim radicals in the south and may be considering the country, along with Myanmar, as a possible refuge and alternative base.

Several Jemaah Islamiyah members on the run from Singapore authorities, including an al-Qaida-linked militant identified as Mas Selamat Kastari, may have fled to southern Thailand late last year before moving on to Indonesia, it said.

"Information received suggests that the JI (Jemaah Islamiyah) leadership has considered using southern Thailand as a safe haven in the event that its networks in Singapore and Malaysia are disrupted," the report said.

Myanmar has also been considered as "a viable safe haven," the report said. It cited unconfirmed reports that suspected Muslim radicals from southern Thailand and Bangladesh may have entered Myanmar.

Additionally, Australian security agencies say they've detected Jemaah Islamiyah cells in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, the report said.

Investigations indicated the militants have met comrades from Southeast Asia but there were no "firm indications that these Australian JI elements have been directly involved in regional JI activities," the report said.It said dealing with extremist threats would be a long, difficult process that would take more than military action.

"A campaign on this front is an arduous process, involving not only winning the hearts and minds of Muslims, but also reducing the political instability and endemic poverty in the region that have helped the radicals to expand."