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Discipline without democracy: military dominance in post-colonial Burma1
Citation
Farrelly, N, Discipline without democracy: military dominance in post-colonial Burma1, Australian Journal of International Affairs, 67, (3) pp. 312-326. ISSN 1035-7718 (2013) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2013 Australian Institute of International Affair
DOI: doi:10.1080/10357718.2013.788122
Abstract
After five decades in which military dominance defined post-colonial politics, Burma has recently embarked on a long-delayed process of political reform. The gradual democratisation of the country's political institutions has meant that the history of its two twentieth-century coups is increasingly overlooked. This article presents a focused study of military interventionism in Burma and offers explanations for the successful entrenchment of military rule. The mindset of the military leadership and its success at sidelining opponents is explored alongside a preliminary consideration of the role that international support has played. Crucially, military leaders have been exasperated by what they consider feeble (and foreign-controlled) civilian authorities that have been incapable of preventing national fragmentation. This mindset, plus effective repression and support by neighbouring countries such as China, formed the basis of the military's rule. Therefore, the prospects of future democratisation efforts will rely on a fuller understanding of the processes that led the armed forces to exert consistent dominance.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | Burma, coups, democratisation, military, Myanmar |
Research Division: | Human Society |
Research Group: | Political science |
Research Field: | Government and politics of Asia and the Pacific |
Objective Division: | Law, Politics and Community Services |
Objective Group: | International relations |
Objective Field: | International political economy (excl. international trade) |
UTAS Author: | Farrelly, N (Professor Nicholas Farrelly) |
ID Code: | 145385 |
Year Published: | 2013 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 18 |
Deposited By: | Office of the School of Social Sciences |
Deposited On: | 2021-07-20 |
Last Modified: | 2021-09-08 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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