Development and institutionalization of communitarian thought in Thailand

In Thailand, communitarian ideas have been widely accepted and even institutionalized as a principle of national development plans and the Constitution of Thailand. This paper examines how and why the communitarian body of thought, described as "community culture thought," and originally created and shared within a small circle of social activists and academics in the early 1980s, came to be disseminated and authorized in Thai society. Contributors and participants, ways of expression, and avenues for disseminating this paradigm are the main topics in this paper. The paper reveals that these thoughts and concepts have been diversified and used as guiding principles by state elites, anti-state activists, and social reformists since the late 1980s. These people with such different political ideologies were connected through some key individuals. These critical connections networked them onto the same side for promoting communitarian thought in Thailand. When such leading advocates assumed key political positions, it was easy for them to push communitarian ideas into the guidelines and principles of state administration.

Post-1988 civil-military relations in Myanmar

This paper explores the development of civil–military relations in Myanmar since 1988. After the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) took over the state by means of a coup d’état in 1988, the top generals ruled the country without recourse to significant formal political institutions such as a constitution, elections and parliament. A unique authoritarian regime, where political power was predominantly under the military’s influence, lasted for more than 20 years in the country. It seemed to many observers that the military regime was highly durable and that its dictator, General Than Shwe, had no intention of altering the highly repressive character of the political system. However, a new leader, President Thein Sein, who came to power in March 2011, has decided to implement some political and economic reforms that could undermine the Tatmadaw’s dominant role in politics and the economy. This paper examines the background to this sudden political change in Myanmar, focusing on the relationship between its dictator, the military and the state. This paper’s main argument is that Than Shwe has carefully prepared the transition of 2011 as a generational change in the Tatmadaw and in state leadership. The argument is also made that the challenges created by Thein Sein can be understood as a result of his redefinition of national security and balancing of security-centralism with state-led developmentalism.

コートジボワールは安定したのか -- ワタラ政権下の軍事的状況の総括と展望

本稿は1990年代以降続いてきたコートジボワールの不安定な状態が、2011年5月に正式発足したワタラ政権のもとで解消されたかどうかを検討する。着眼点はワタラ政権期の武装勢力の動向と、ワタラ政権の軍事的基盤をなすコートジボワール共和国軍（FRCI）とワタラの関係である。武装勢力の動向については、ワタラ政権の正式発足の時点で内戦期の軍事的対立の構図が基本的には解消され、その後もFRCI優位の軍事状況が継続していることがわかる。ワタラとFRCIの関係については、FRCI幹部の重要ポストへの登用が続いており、堅固な同盟関係が維持されていることが確認できる。しかし同時に、事態を不安定化に向かわせうる要因が今なお存在することも指摘できる。このためコートジボワールは一時期の不安定な状況をたしかに脱してはいるものの、安定化が十分に確立・制度化されるうえでは、軍の改革をはじめとする課題が解消される必要がある。