This book discusses the political resurgence of the military in Southeast Asia throughout the 2000s. Written by distinguished experts on military affairs, the individual chapters explore developments in Burma, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, East Timor, Indonesia and Singapore. They not only assess, but also offer explanations for the level of military involvement in politics in each country. Consequently, the book also makes a significant contribution to the comparative debate about militaries in politics. Whilst conditions obviously differ from country to country, most authors in this book conclude that the shape of civil-military relations is not predetermined by historic, economic or cultural factors, but is often the result of intra-civilian conflicts and divisive or ineffective political leadership.

1. Conflict and leadership / Marcus Mietzner -- 2. The armed forces of Burma / Susanne Prager Nyein -- 3. Thaksin, the military, and Thailand's protracted political crisis / Pavin Chachavalpongpun -- 4. Military politics in contemporary Vietnam / Carlyle A. Thayer -- 5. The military in Philippine politics / Aries A. Arugay -- 6. The armed forces in Timor-Leste / Douglas Kammen -- 7. The political marginalization of the military in Indonesia / Marcus Mietzner -- 8. The armed forces and politics in Singapore / Tan Tai Yong.