Civil Military Interaction In Asia And Africa

The focus of this book is on the interaction between the civilian government and the military in Asian and African countries. The authors have gone to great lengths to provide an accurate analysis of both the advantages and the shortcomings of the respective countries' attempts to reach civil - military cooperation. Each article provides the reader with the information necessary to make a preliminary judgement on the efficiency of the given country's ability to achieve harmony between their government and their military.

Looking at how armies supportive of democracy are built, this title argues that the military is the important institution that states maintain, for without military elites who support democratic governance, democracy cannot be consolidated. It demonstrates that building democratic armies is the quintessential task of democratizing regimes.

The focus of this book is on the interaction between the civilian government and the military in Asian and African countries. The authors have gone to great lengths to provide an accurate analysis of both the advantages and the shortcomings of the respective countries' attempts to reach civil - military cooperation. Each article provides the reader with the information necessary to make a preliminary judgement on the efficiency of the given country's ability to achieve harmony between their government and their military.

In recent decades, several East Asian nations have undergone democratic transitions accompanied by changes in the balance of power between civilian elites and military leaders. These developments have not followed a single pattern: In Thailand, failure to institutionalize civilian control has contributed to the breakdown of democracy; civil-military relations and democracy in the Philippines are in prolonged crisis; and civilian control in Indonesia is yet to be institutionalized. At the same time, South Korea and Taiwan have established civilian supremacy and made great advances in consolidating democracy. These differences can be explained by the interplay of structural environment and civilian political entrepreneurship. In Taiwan, Korea, and Indonesia, strategic action, prioritization, and careful timing helped civilians make the best of their structural opportunities to overcome legacies of military involvement in politics. In Thailand, civilians overestimated their ability to control the military and provoked military intervention. In the Philippines, civilian governments forged a symbiotic relationship with military elites that allowed civilians to survive in office but also protected the military's institutional interests. These differences in the development of civil-military relations had serious repercussions on national security, political stability, and democratic consolidation, helping to explain why South Korea, Taiwan, and, to a lesser degree, Indonesia have experienced successful democratic transformation, while Thailand and the Philippines have failed to establish stable democratic systems.

This book contains unique, firsthand experiences of both the military and civilian actors involved in civil-military interaction processes. It presents lessons learned from a variety of situations, from both NATO-led operations and UN Integrated Missions, and in different geographical areas, such as the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. Rather than taking the improvisational approach, these lessons learned will enable military commanders and staff and their civilian counterparts in governments, International Organisations and NGOs to come fully prepared for the challenges of today's multifaceted missions. With a better understanding of the mandates and methods of the various civilian and military actors comes greater respect for each other's comparative advantages. With respect comes smoother cooperation. And with that, efficiency gains and enhanced overall mission effectiveness. Each chapter contains solid analysis and advice, specific to the functions found in military organizations, from Intelligence to Personnel and from Logistics to Engineering. Cross-cutting themes like Gender, Human Rights and Corruption are also included in this work that brings together some of the best that practitioners and academics can offer.

Rivalry and Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the most important strategic and economic region in the world. Asia-Pacific is a region that is undergoing a major transformation, largely as a consequence of the rise of China and its growing rivalry with the United States. Whatever happens in the Asia-Pacific will profoundly influence global events, not just regional ones. Looking ahead, the region's future direction — and even its name — is contested and uncertain.This two-volume reference work, by one of the world's leading analysts of regional affairs, places these events in historical context and considers what they may mean for future political, economic and strategic relations. By focusing on the United States, China and the region's most significant middle powers, the book explains why and how the Asia-Pacific has become the fulcrum of international events.

In The Military and Democracy in Asia and the Pacific, a number of prominent regional specialists take a fresh look at the military's changing role in selected countries of Asia and the Pacific, particularly with regard to the countries' performance against criteria of democratic government. Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Burma, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Korea, Fiji and Papua New Guinea all fall under the spotlight as the authors examine the role which the military has played in bringing about changes of political regime, and in resisting pressures for change.