ENGAGING MILITARY IN POSTWAR RECONCILIATION A CASE STUDY OF IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CONSOLIDATION OF DEMOCRACY IN SRI LANKA
Author
Wickramaratne, Chaminda
Date
2013-03Advisor
Bruneau, Thomas C.
Matei, Florina Cristiana
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Engaging military in post war reconciliation A case study of implications for the consolidation of democracy in Sri Lanka was prompted by post-war developments in Sri Lanka related to Civil-Military relations. The longest fought civil war in South East Asia, came to an end when the Sri Lankan Armed Forces successfully defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militarily in May 2009. The huge success achieved by the Sri Lankan military vis--vis the Tamil Tigers has made the government rely on the countrys military even after the defeat of the LTTE. In that background, the government has encouraged military presence in all possible areas of the driving mechanism of the country. Specifically, the government has engaged the military in many activities of national development and reconciliation and in this scenario, there are many questions raised against the government of Sri Lanka and the military. Is excessive military involvement in civilian work leading to enhanced military prerogatives of Sri Lankas Armed Forces, which in turn is jeopardizing civilian supremacy over the armed forces Is involvement of the military in activities of national development and reconciliation endangering or boosting democratic consolidation in Sri Lanka Some critiques argue that Sri Lanka has undergone an excessive militarization, which is hindering post-war democratic consolidation. In this context, this research will look at Civil-Military relations adopted by the Sri Lankan government after the civil-war period from the perspective of the military prerogatives highlighted by Alfred Stepan and will further seek to identify the impact of CMR on the consolidation of democracy in the dilemma of militarization. It will start with a discussion of relevant theories of democratic transition and consolidation of CMR, followed by a discussion of democratic transition and consolidation in Sri Lanka, CMR during and after the civil war, and how CMR impacted democratic consolidation. The thesis finishes with an examination of lessons learned and best/worst practices of CMR.
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
THE ROLE OF THE RULE OF LAW IN THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF MALI AND CHILE
Toure, Youssouf (Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School, 2018-09);This thesis explores the causal relationship between the rule of law, democratization of civil-military relations, and democratic consolidation. This research offers a conceptual framework—developed from existing ... -
The long search for democratic stability in El Salvador: implications for United States policy
Riedel, Curtis B (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1997-03);From 1980 to 1992, the United States spent over 6 billion dollars to combat insurgency and bolster democracy in El Salvador, a nation of only 5.3 million people. In fact, El Salvador was the site of the United States' most ... -
Civil-military challenges for a consolidating democracy: the Maldives
Ashraf, Ibrahim (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2012-12);This thesis explores civil-military relations (CMR) challenges to the democratic consolidation of the Republic of Maldives. It analyzes the Maldives political and military history and existing CMR legislation and institutions ...