Questionnaire on Ethnic Politics, Defense And Security in the Western Hemisphere

November 21, 2010 From: Martin Edwin Andersen This e-mail is part of a canvas to see who among you might have interest about and/or information on this important subject, or could pass this on to a colleague who might be interested in lending a hand.

Dear Colleague, I am preparing a stud on !Et"ni# $oliti#s, De%ense and &e#urit in t"e 'estern (emisp"ere)! *"is e+mail is part o% a #anvas to see w"om among ou mig"t "ave interest about and,or in%ormation on t"is important sub-e#t, or #ould pass t"is on to a #olleague w"o mig"t be interested in lending a "and) Among t"e proposed .e out#omes o% t"e stud is a better understanding about : 1/ "ow #ivilian regimes maintain state aut"orit %ragmentation2 in t"e #onte0t o% et"ni# 1#ommunal/

2/ t"e e0tent to w"i#" t"e et"ni# ma.eup o% a nation+state3s militar and poli#e strengt"en or -eopardi4e sense o% individual and #ommunit se#urit 2 5/ t"e e0tent to w"i#" t"e #omposition o% militar and poli#e %or#es re%le#t larger politi#al #ontrovers over relative positions o% various et"ni# #ommunities in regional nation+states, and 6/ "ow et"ni#it s"apes per#eptions about and t"e role o% t"e militar and de%ense %or#es) *"e resear#" parameters o% t"is stud in#lude:
o

*"e importan#e o% national se#urit poli# in determining et"ni# %rontiers and #onspi#uousness in unstable multi+et"ni# so#ieties) *"e impa#t o% et"ni# strategies in t"e personnel poli#ies o% t"e se#urit establis"ment, in#luding means used to ensure bot" lo alt and national servi#e) *"e e0tent to w"i#" militar poli# represents elite manipulation o% et"ni#it ) *"e "istori#al and #ontemporar e%%e#t o% t"e pull o% #lass, region and et"ni#it on t"e allegian#e o% t"e militar and t"e poli#e) *"e degree to w"i#" et"ni# identi%i#ation serves to limit national se#urit planning, and t"e e0tent to w"i#" its ver %a#t means su#" planning needs to a##ount %or it)

o o

*"e role pla ed b t"e militar in t"e operation o% t"e se#urit #ore o% t"e state vis+7+vis et"ni# issues, in#luding t"e di%%erentiation between t"e arm on one "and, and t"e nav and air %or#e on t"e ot"er) *"e role o% t"e poli#e and t"e impa#t t"eir di%%erential status pla s in t"e #al#ulations o% t"e se#urit establis"ment)

I am "oping t"at t"ose o% ou in Me0i#o and Central and &out" Ameri#a in parti#ular ma be able to address at least a signi%i#ant part o% t"ese 8uestions, t"ose relevant to t"eir #ountr and to t"eir sub-e#t matter e0pertise) *"e %a#t is, one o% t"e problems wit" t"is %ield is t"ere is little resear#" available %rom w"i#" to build upon) In addition, be#ause #ountries in t"e region %a#e ver di%%erent issues wit"in t"e overar#"ing t"eme, t"e %irst iteration a more #ompre"ensive e%%ort needs to be as in#lusive as possible) It is believed t"at t"ere are d nami#s in ea#" #ountr t"at are, despite t"e di%%eren#es, more #ommon among t"ose nation+states being #onsidered %or e0amination) *"e 8uestions about w"i#" answers are soug"t in#lude:
o

*o w"at e0tent "ave militar ,poli#e #ome to be loo.ed upon as t"e tool o% one et"ni# group and, i% t"is o##urs, w"at does it sa , i% an t"ing, about t"e erosion o% state aut"orit 9 *o w"at e0tent does t"e #omposition o% militar and poli#e %or#es re%le#t larger politi#al #ontrovers over relative positions o% various et"ni# #ommunities in regional nation+states9 In #ountries in w"i#" on#e+perip"eral or wea. et"ni# #ommunities "ave a#8uired new resour#es and in#reased politi#al assertiveness, "as t"e militar ,poli#e dimension o% t"e altered interet"ni# relations"ips remained a perip"eral matter9 Is t"is due to %a#t o% militar 1and poli#e/ "aving onl minimal salien# in t"e politi#al s stem due to an absen#e o% wartime or ma-or disorders9 Do newl assertive et"ni# groups remain little interested in using militar #areers as a ladder to so#iopoliti#al upward mobilit 9 Is t"e #ountr 3s militar ,poli#e:alleged 8uintessen#e o% state aut"orit :roug"l representative o% t"e #ivilian populations in w"ose name t"e e0ert #oer#ive %or#e9 At all levels o% ran.9 ;etween t"e servi#es9 (ow does militar ,poli#e di%%er, i% at all, in its et"ni# #omposition %rom t"e general population9 I% dis#ontinuities e0ist, "ow do t"e a%%e#t politi#al role o% t"e militar ,poli#e, as well as t"e politi#al leverages o% individual et"ni# #ommunities9 '"i#" #ommunities in#line toward militar enlistment9 (ow does distribution o% litera# and edu#ational opportunities, alternative modes o% emplo ment, and #ultural values atta#"ed to soldiering and poli#ing a%%e#t #ommunities3 in#lination9

*o w"at e0tent are t"e in#linations listed in <uestion No) = t"e result o% an a##umulation o% "istori#al and,or #ontemporar e0perien#e based on design9 Are t"e #ountr 3s poli#e militari4ed, #ommunit based, or a #ombination o% bot"9 '"at is t"e poli#e %or#es3 degree o% "ierar#"i4ation9 (ow does et"ni# 1#ommunal/ diversit o% poli#e #ompare wit" t"at o% t"e armed %or#es9 Does t"e #ountr 3s parti#ular militar ,poli#e+et"ni# pattern result %rom ver sel%+ #ons#ious #al#ulations o% governing elites9 *o w"at e0tent, i% an , does t"e state argue t"at militar ,poli#e patterns are not t"e result o% politi#all elaborate design9 Are immune %rom #"arges o% deliberate et"ni# s.ewing9 *o w"at e0tent does #ons#iousness o% t"e et"ni# ma.eup o% a nation+state3s militar ,poli#e strengt"en or -eopardi4e t"e sense o% individual and #ommunit se#urit 9 In #ountries w"ere newl assertive et"ni# #ommunities "ave su##eeded in mobili4ing state guarantees and resour#es towards a status %or t"em as %irst among e8uals, is t"is trend re%le#ted in t"e #omposition and stru#ture o% t"e militar and poli#e9 Do t"e #"anges in militar and poli#e #omposition result in private alienation or a point o% publi# #ontention %or members o% t"e displa#ed power stru#ture, or bot"9 In #ountries "aving e0perien#ed #oup attempts, to w"at degree were #ivilian poli# ma.ers #on#erned about t"e politi#al signi%i#an#e o% t"e distribution o% et"ni# groups in t"e militar ,poli#e %or#es9 Did #oup spo.espeople use et"ni# 1#ommunal/ #laims o% past in-usti#e as part o% t"eir -usti%i#ation o% t"eir anti+ regime a#tion9 In w"at #ountries "as t"e de%ense minister port%olio been "eld b an indigenous person9 As a servi#e "ead 1in#luding national poli#e #"ie%2 #"ie% o% ma-or metropolitan poli#e/9 In #ountries "aving %a#ed, are %a#ing, or li.el to %a#e in medium+term %uture, insurgen#ies, in w"i#" "as "ad or is li.el to "ave politi#al dissention o% a "ig"l et"ni# 1#ommunal/ nature9 Is militar ,poli#e+et"ni# issue a non+issue, a perip"eral issue, or a #ultural issue9 In #ountries w"ere a ma-or alternation o% et"ni# roles "as o##urred, "ave militar ,poli#e+et"ni# issues in#reased in salien# 9 Are militar ,poli#e part o% inter+et"ni# 1#ommunal/ #onso#iational elite resolution in t"e #ountr under stud 9 bargaining and

In w"i#" #ountries "as issue o% et"ni# #omposition o% t"e militar ,poli#e #reated politi#i4ed worries among individual et"ni# #ommunities9 Is t"is li.el to emerge as an important topi# o% debate in general publi# 1t"us provo.ing "ig" an0iet in ruling elites/9 (ave traditional militar ,poli#e et"ni# groups been displa#ed and ultimatel dis#redited b #laims o% t"eir subservien#e to non+national elite power9 3

*o w"at e0tent does #ons#ription #omplian#e raise 8uestions about t"e nature o% national allegian#e and t"e degree o% politi#al integration ne#essar to se#ure nation+state3s integrit 9 '"at #ountervailing #onditions, i% an , "ave o%%set t"e %a#ts t"at prima %a#ie seem to ensure t"at t"e et"ni# dimensions o% t"e #omposition and deplo ment o% a nation+state3s militar and poli#e would be as prominent in t"e politi#al arena as, %or instan#e, 8uestions o% language, edu#ation, and e#onomi# development9

As I mentioned at t"e outset, reliable in%ormation about mu#" o% t"e above is "ard to #ome b , parti#ularl t"ose answers t"at re%le#t t"e pre#ision t"e 8uestions see. to eli#it) I% ou "ave in%ormation about an or all o% t"is, please let me .now) I% ou would li.e to .now more about m wor. in t"is area, please see t"e arti#le !Et"ni# $oliti#s, De%ense, and &e#urit in >?atin> Ameri#a,! publis"ed re#entl in Joint Force Quarterly "ttp:,,www)ndu)edu,press,et"ni#+politi#s+de%ense+se#urit )"tml .! Finall , i% ou wis" %or our answers to remain #on%idential, please understand t"at su#" #on%identialit will be respe#ted) I% not, also please let us .now) Man t"an.s in advan#e %or our #onsideration) &in#erel , Mi#. Andersen Martin Edwin Andersen C"ie%, &trategi# Communi#ations and Assistant $ro%essor o% National &e#urit A%%airs Center %or (emisp"eri# De%ense &tudies , National De%ense @niversit