Military Aspect of Politics
Future of Myanmar
Aung Ko Ko Toe
Knowledge Propagation Society (KPS)
Mandalay
OUTLINE
FIRST ………………. Case Study (Myanmar)
SECOND,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Theory
Civilian Approach Military Approach
Civil-Military Relation
Military Aspect of Politics International Politics
Background Condition
(The role of Army)
Struggling Period for independence Parliament Democracy RC (Revolutionary Council) BSPP (Burmese Socialist Programme Party) 8888 Period SLORC SPDC Transition Period………………
PartyArmyState
ArmyPartyState
ArmyStateParty
StateArmyParty
ModernDemocraticStates
Military Dictatorial State
Present China
Army-Party-State
Transitional Process
Total Change Change through political system Change through economic system
Revolutionary Change Evolutionary Change
Linear Or Non-linear
Civilian Military OutputStrong Weak Civilian Control
Strong Strong Wealth State(or) instability
Weak Weak Fail State / Weak Regime
Weak Strong Military Regime
How Condition in Myanmar
Condition in Myanmar
Legitimacy Problem Militant Culture Radical Trend – Revolution Poverty Trap Power Struggle Transition of institutions (Period)
(Military Regime to Democratic Regime)
Myanmar Social-political Value (S.P.V)
POLITCAL CULTURE
1. Apolitical2. Radical
SOCIAL CULTURE
1. Normative Approach2. Weak Trust3. Personal Cult
Social-political Value (S.P.V)
Gray Zone Condition
CSOs and CBOs / GONGOs (Government Owned Non Government Organization)
Armed Groups and People War Strategy Media
Printed Media and Digital Media Political Party
Opposition Party / Ruling Party & Proxy Party
Constitution
Exist Strategy (Road Map) Power Distribution (in two branches) Space & Limitation Playing Field Desire - From Local Boss to Global Boss
Role in constitution or Not
Commander in chief & President appoint to Home Affair, Defense, Border
Affair Ministers National Defense & Security Council (NDSC) 25 % Bureaucracy (Public Administration)Business Other (eg; Academic Elite Class)
What on Focus?
Military build up1) Internal Affair 2) External Affair
Civil War, Conflict - instability Political, Religious, Ethnic, Economic or General
External Threat, Invasion Border Affair Hot War Condition Closely Position with Rough State.
Military Build Up
Military Power drives from –
Size of a state’s armed forces Quality & Quantity of weaponry Military Budget Moral Organizations Leadership Training
Military Power
The modern world, strategic Nuclear weapons have been the most vital measures of a state’s military strength.
A state cannot be considered as a major military power if it lack strategic nuclear weapons.
WMD (weapon of mass destruction)1) Nuclear
2) Chemical
3) Biological weapons……………
Military Power – National Power
State are struggling not only in total war but also for the threat of force throughout all international systems.
Military Power remains a key to the survival and national power of states in international relation.
Awareness Factor
- Isolated Cover1) Self Budget 2) Self Engineering3) Self Health4) Self Education
CAUSES OF Capacity Limitation of People……../
More Interdependence, Best RelationTARGET; Civilian Control Government.
Role (FUNCTION)
Civiliana) For State Building
b) For Development
c) For State Power Military
I. For Defense
II. For Security & Stability
III. For deterrence to prevent External Threats
IV. Human Security
Military Direction
State Power ? Repress ? Non-Secession ? Stability ? Duty ?
For State Building & Nation Building ?
(eg; SPDC)
Relation b/t Social Classes
Relation between MILITARY & Social Class
Upper Class - Elite, Aristocracy Middle Class – Bourgeoisie Lower Class - Working class
Civil Military Relation
Relation between ruling party and opposition groups in Myanmar.
Hardliner Reformer Moderate Radical
Military Professionalism
Such as (in Military Field) Scholar Academic Person Educated
- Ethic base, Norm base, Skill Full base, Functional base :
- Professional Characteristics of Army.
Civilian Control
Dependence– Budget, Technology Military Science Technocrat Expert to Military Affair (esp. in Parliament) Change to Militant Culture (Radical Mindset) Democratic Standard Professionalism Breakdown – 25 % Institutionalization (Democratic institution)
Soldier is every where exist.
Politics is the Art of Possible*****Politics is change enemy as
Friend….Dagon Taryar (Great Poet)
View of Politics
Realist View base on interest base on security Struggle for Survival
Liberalist View base on value base on norm equality, freedom, moderate Cooperation *** interdependence
Main Theme Factor.
Civilian control of the military, Military professionalism, War, Civil-military operations, Military institutions
Definition
(Differences) – Military and War
Armed Forces of the Country Characteristics of soldiers or armed forces
War is the continuation of Politics by other means.
Kar Von Clausewitz (1832)
War is a conflict between or among political groups.
Military
Military Attachéan army officer serving with an embassy as anobserver to a foreign Army.
Military Policeresponsible for policing and disciplinaryduties in the armed forces.
Not include…….
Military - 2
Individual LevelCharacteristic of individual Leader (Major Leader)
Studying as Comparative to opposite size
Nature of Differences
Nature of CivilianA. Norm (right things do)B. EthnicC. FlexibilityD. Multicultural E. Diversity & PluralistF. Soft & Smart PowerG. PoliticsH. Partnership
Nature of Military1) Aggressive2) Rigid3) Focus on Security4) Interest 5) Hierarchy 6) Order7) Do things right8) Homogeneous 9) Hard Power (Armed)
War is a conflict between or among political groups
1. Territorial Disputes2. Control of Government3. Economic Conflict4. Ethnic Conflict5. Religious Conflict6. Ideological Conflict
Cause of War
History Background
Warlord King Emperor (Lord of Kings)
Field MarshalGeneral
PresidentPrime Minister
Power Concept
Super Power Hyper Power Great Power Regional Power Middle Power Small Power
State’s Power – indication level
Power instruments
1) Hard Power2) Soft Power3) Smart Power
Hard Power – to coercive tactics,Threat or use of armed forces, EconomicPressure or sanctions, Assassination…. Etc..
Two Era.
War & Peace
War Era Peace Era
Peace is the preparation period in order to become war cause.
Aspect on War
Political Science Approach Internal case Type of War
International Relation Approach External case Global International – Beyond to Border
Political Science approach on War
Types of War
1) Conventional War
2) Unconventional War
3) Guerrilla War
4) Counter-guerrilla War
5) Civil War
6) Rebellion & Revolution
7) Low-intensity warfare
IR approach on War
Types of War
1) General War – Total War
2) Limited War
3) Civil war
4) Conventional War
5) Nuclear War
6) Asymmetric Warfare
Conventional War
Use of modern weapons Such as …. Tanks, Warplanes, Warships or
Destroyers.. Without WMD … Eg;
I. Israeli- Arab warII. Indian-Pakistan warIII. Falkland war (1982)
Civil War (PS) & (IR) Asymmetric War (IR)
o weaker to Stronger opponent o in boundary o between Army and Armed groupso American Civil waro Somalia or Liberia (fighting for control of fail states)o Chechens in Russiao Tamils in Sri Lanka(Ethno-natioanalist movement)o Sierra Leono Rwanda(ethnic, clan, religious groups)
State to State State Level between Strong State and weak State
North Vietnamese against to USA (1950) Mujahedeen in Afghanistan against USSR (1980)
Civil War
Few civil wars are solely domestic and they often became international events.
State, groups and individual from outside of the warring country involve – - Funding particular groups- Selling weapons to various factions- Diplomatically supporting one group over
other.
Limited War
War can be classified as limited wars on the basis of goals pursued, the type of weapons used and target.
Korea War – 1950 - 53 Vietnam War – 1960 - Gulf War (First Gulf war) - 1991 Afghanistan War - 2001 Iraq-Iran War (Second Gulf war) - 2003