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Role of military in Asia



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                        Role of military in Asia

>From STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE, March 18, 2001

                      NEW DELHI, March. 17. ? The impact of domestic
factors on armed forces differs from nation to nation. While in some
South-east Asian countries, domestic instability is the fundamental
problem of the armed forces, the military in an Asian country like
                      India stands out for being apolitical, in contrast
to what has happened in the neighbourhood. A panel discussion on the
?Role of the military in Asia? at the Asia News Network conference today
focussed on two aspects ? the South-east Asian perspective, highlighted
by the director of the Research Maritime Institute of Malaysia, Mr Mak
Joon Num, and the Asian perspective, delivered by the director of the
United Services Institution, Lt-Gen Satish Nambiar (retd).

                      The panelists included former foreign secretary Mr
Salman Haidar and India correspondent of The Straits Times, Mr Nirmal
Ghosh. Mr Jose MA Nolasco, journalist from Philippines also addressed
the session. Mr Ravindra Kumar, director and managing-editor of The
Statesman, moderated the session to perfection.

                      The discussion was part of the second ANN regional
conference on ?Role of the Military in Asian Democracies?, organised by
the Asia News Network and the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation (Asian Media
Project) here today.

                      Lt-Gen Nambiar said military leaders when
operating within a constitutionally defined government are more likely
to be conservative in their advocacy of war because of the political
limits. In a military dominated government, however, the scenario
changes. ?When military becomes the government, their specialized
methods of decision making tend to discount the advice of other branches
of government,? he said.

                      The interesting point was how often civilians
articulate the need for military taking over the reigns. But ?the
military is drawn from the same society as everyone... they are not
likely to do anything differently except that a form of discipline would
prevail initially. But the military would display the same informities
and fall prey to similar pressures,? Lt-Gen Nambiar said.

                      On the Indian military remaining apolitical,
Lt-Gen Nambiar said India is much too large and the Indian armed forces
much too big and amorphous to act as one entity except against an
external adversary. ?Fortunately, no efforts were made to politicise the
armed forces, though much success was achieved by the civilian
bureaucracy in diluting the influence and the status of the military.
The Indian armed forces revel in their status as the role model for
national integration and meritocracy,? he said.
                      Mr Salman Haidar touched upon how the overturned
democratic process or anti-democratic process as it happened in Pakistan
and Myanmar, were not acceptable.

                      He elaborated on the challenges before the armed
forces when civilians expect them to do things which are in general not
obligatory on their part.

                      Mr Nirmal Ghosh focussed on the necessity of flow
of information. He highlighted the need for more public awareness about
the armed forces and urged the authorities to take steps to ensure that
the ?military remains an institution and its image does not get
tarnished?.

                      Mr Num discussed the situation in Malaysia,
Indonesia and Singapore and how some countries face external threat from
their immediate neighbours and how the future of other nations is
uncertain because of domestic unrest.



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<center><b><u><font color="#000099"><font size=+3>Role of military in Asia</font></font></u></b></center>

<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>From STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE, March
18, 2001</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
NEW DELHI, March. 17. ? The impact of domestic factors on armed forces
differs from nation to nation. While in some South-east Asian countries,
domestic instability is the fundamental problem of the armed forces, the
military in an Asian country like</font></font>
<br><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
India stands out for being apolitical, in contrast to what has happened
in the neighbourhood. A panel discussion on the ?Role of the military in
Asia? at the Asia News Network conference today focussed on two aspects
? the South-east Asian perspective, highlighted by the director of the
Research Maritime Institute of Malaysia, Mr Mak Joon Num, and the Asian
perspective, delivered by the director of the United Services Institution,
Lt-Gen Satish Nambiar (retd).</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The panelists included former foreign secretary Mr Salman Haidar and India
correspondent of The Straits Times, Mr Nirmal Ghosh. Mr Jose MA Nolasco,
journalist from Philippines also addressed the session. Mr Ravindra Kumar,
director and managing-editor of The Statesman, moderated the session to
perfection.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The discussion was part of the second ANN regional conference on ?Role
of the Military in Asian Democracies?, organised by the Asia News Network
and the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation (Asian Media Project) here today.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Lt-Gen Nambiar said military leaders when operating within a constitutionally
defined government are more likely to be conservative in their advocacy
of war because of the political limits. In a military dominated government,
however, the scenario changes. ?When military becomes the government, their
specialized methods of decision making tend to discount the advice of other
branches of government,? he said.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The interesting point was how often civilians articulate the need for military
taking over the reigns. But ?the military is drawn from the same society
as everyone... they are not likely to do anything differently except that
a form of discipline would prevail initially. But the military would display
the same informities and fall prey to similar pressures,? Lt-Gen Nambiar
said.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
On the Indian military remaining apolitical, Lt-Gen Nambiar said India
is much too large and the Indian armed forces much too big and amorphous
to act as one entity except against an external adversary. ?Fortunately,
no efforts were made to politicise the armed forces, though much success
was achieved by the civilian bureaucracy in diluting the influence and
the status of the military. The Indian armed forces revel in their status
as the role model for national integration and meritocracy,? he said.</font></font>
<br><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Mr Salman Haidar touched upon how the overturned democratic process or
anti-democratic process as it happened in Pakistan and Myanmar, were not
acceptable.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
He elaborated on the challenges before the armed forces when civilians
expect them to do things which are in general not obligatory on their part.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Mr Nirmal Ghosh focussed on the necessity of flow of information. He highlighted
the need for more public awareness about the armed forces and urged the
authorities to take steps to ensure that the ?military remains an institution
and its image does not get tarnished?.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Mr Num discussed the situation in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore and
how some countries face external threat from their immediate neighbours
and how the future of other nations is uncertain because of domestic unrest.</font></font>
<p>&nbsp;</html>

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