Annexure-I

UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM & ENERGY STUDIES

COLLEGE OF LEGAL STUDIES
BA.,LLB(HONS.) ENERGY LAWS ,SEMESTER II
ACADEMIC YEAR: 2014 -15

SESSION: JANUARY-MAY

PROJECT
ON
DICTATORSHIP: A COMPARATIVE STUDY
BETWEEN RELIGIOUS AND MILITARY
FOR
Political Science - II
(LLBG112)
Under the Supervision of Sam Babu. K.C.
(TO BE FILLED BY THE STUDENT)

NAME:

ANIKET CHATTERJEE

SAP NO:

500037646

ROLL NO:

10

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY ESTEEMED TEACHER MR. SAMBABU
K.C. FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPURTUNITY TO DO THIS ILLUMINATING
PROJECT FROM WHICH I GLEANED MUCH LEARNING.

TOPIC

PAGE

INTRODUCTION

RELIGIOUS DICTATORSHIP

DICTATORSHIP IN IRAN

DICTATORSHIP IN SAUDI ARABIA

11

MILITARY DICTATORSHIP

14

DICTATORSHIP IN FIJI

16

DICTATORSHIP IN BURMA

18

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

21

CONCLUSION

26

BIBLIOGRAPHY

27

INTRODUCTION
We have all seen the fact that certain countries in our postmodern world are
governed or run by a single entity or a single person. Political authority is
monopolized by that person or entity and the power is exercised through various
mechanisms to keep the rule of that entity or person, strong and uncontested.
This is known as DICTATORSHIP.
Dictatorship can also be called as authoritarianism1, where the rights of the masses
are curbed. The regulation of public and private behavior of the citizens of that
particular state is in force. Political propaganda is utilized to denounce alternate
governing systems and also curb the spirit of nationalism.
The most general term is despotism, which is a form of government which a single
entity rules with absolute power. The entity may be an individual, as in a autocracy,
or it may be a group, as in an oligarchy.
Dictatorship can be traced back to the medieval times. In Medieval Europe, the
Church held sway over all things, whether the daily running of Catholic
governments or the public life of people. Prominent Scientists were branded
heretics and excommunicated2. Freedom of speech was banned. And any libelous
items against the church meant near death. A prominent example can be the
branding of certain female individuals as witches. They would be burned to the
stake. This was a clear violation of human rights, but that was what The Church
did in those times.

1 denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a
small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people.
2 institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit
membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in
particular reception of the sacraments.
4

200 miles from ancient Sumer, the site of ancient Akkad can be found. From here,
in 2300 B.C., Sargon the Great launched a campaign of military conquest that
united all of Mesopotamia. Within a decade Sargon had extended his conquests
from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea and northeastward to the Taurus
Mountains of Turkey. Sargon the Great3 provided the world with its first example
of a military dictatorship. Although providing a good many technological
developments, he kept his vast empire under an iron-cast rule.

Dictatorship can be classified into two 3 separate classes Military dictatorships - In this type, one or more classes of the military hold
authoritarian control. Also known as junta4.
Religious dictatorships - a perverted form of theocracy. It is a type of
dictatorship where a group of officials pursuant of a particular religion hold
authoritarian control over the country and seeks to enforce this control
through religious means.
Single-party state - a type of state in which a single political party has the
right to form the government, usually based on the existing constitution. All
other parties are either outlawed or allowed to take only a limited and
controlled participation in election5.

3 Joshua J. Mark, Sargon at Akkad (Sept. 2, 2009),http://www.ancient.eu/Sargon_of_Akkad/

4 Infra at 24.
5 One-party systems, (accessed on 20th April),
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/party_systems.htm

Military dictatorship can be found in most African countries namely Equatorial

Guinea, Zimbabwe, Chad, Ethiopia and others. Some example of single party
states are China, North Korea and others.
Religious Dictatorships are not so easily inferred. But, Iran and Saudi Arabia can
be reasonable examples of religious dictatorships.

Under a dictatorship, the populace becomes afraid to speak out or ask for help from
their government, as attracting the attention of a tyrant is generally a very bad idea.
So broken things go unrepaired, crimes are not reported, people just suffer through
the shortages and absurdities of life under an uncaring or hostile regime.

The apathy and hopelessness that set in result in a low birthrate and eventual
economic downturns as there are fewer workers to fill jobs, since apathetic people
have few or no kids, and decaying moribund countries seldom attract immigrant
workers. 'Life is not worth living,' becomes a tacit agreement throughout the
country. Romania under Ceausescu6 is an example of a dictatorship where banning
birth control was done to force Romanians to have large families despite their
poverty. Thus orphanages in Ceausescu's Romania became full of malnourished
kids whose parents had abandoned them.

As the overall public sinks more profound into hardship and hopelessness, two
potential outcomes emerge; resistance and war. Successful rebellion will take care
of the quick issue by evacuating the tyrant, however the agitators will need to be
watchful keeping in mind that their substitution government end up being as vile
and inhumane as the past one. War and the subsequent defeat may spare the
6 The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, Nicolae Ceauescu (accessed on 14th April, 2015),
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/100972/Nicolae-Ceausescu.

populace if enough survive and the enemy minds enough to help remake and
associate with the previous dictatorship. The most dire outcome imaginable is that
the dictatorship will win the war and subjugate or murder off the populace of the
adversary nation, expanding human enduring and treachery7.

RELIGIOUS DICTATORSHIPS
Religious governments is a manifestation of government in which the ministry
have sway over a domain and authority arrangement is either administered by
authorities viewed as celestially guided, or is compliant with the regulation of a
specific religion.
These governments are known as THEOCRACIES.
The real problem with theocracy is not that it is religious. The real problem is that
it excludes religious pluralism. That is when it tends to go towards a dictatorship.
The theocracy must suppress all heresy, even to the extermination of the heretic.
When the policy of purification fails, the theocracy fails. It may take time, as it did
for Roman Paganism and its successor, medieval Catholicism, but fail it must if
pluralism is allowed to take root.8
That is the only way the dictatorship can work. The complete unification of one
country under a religion.

7 Sue Sullivan, What are the negative consequences of dictatorship? (Jul. 20, 2014),
http://www.quora.com/What-are-negative-consequences-of-dictatorship

8 Ed Farr, The real problem with theocracy (Jan. 14, 2015),

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2015/01/14/the-real-problem-with-theocracy/.

There is little likelihood of theocracy developing from Western culture. Western

cults of faith incline toward the socioeconomic rather than theistic. The best
candidate for theocracy is Islam.
All theocracies lack one conspicuous element of free societies; that is, freedom of
expression. Even a pro-science ruling clergy must keep the censors active, lest a
new discovery call some dogma into question. Under a theocracy, the first priority
is spiritual hegemony, not because any one religion has got everything right, but
because the power structure depends on it. If the faith falls, the ruling circle falls.
Economic freedom is another casualty. 9

DICTATORSHIP IN IRAN
Iran is a religiously based totalitarian dictatorship. There are no checks and
balances, no elections, and no Constitution they even claim to follow. The attitudes
and opinions of religious leaders in Iran matter. Their whims and wishes are, most
often, the supreme law of the land.
There are few leaders in the world more important to current world affairs but less
understood than Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran. The most
powerful individual in an autocratic state; no decisions can be taken without his
consent and whose main interest is to ensure his own survival and the Islamic
States.10
However, practically speaking, Iran's unelected foundations, to be specific the
incomparable pioneer and 12-man Guardian Council, wield much more power than
chose organizations like the administration and parliament. The Guardian Council
9 Kal Penn, Towards a libertarian theocracy (accessed on 17th April, 2015),
http://libertariantheocracy.tumblr.com/.

10 Karim Sadjadpour, Iran primer: The supreme leader, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT

FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE (Sept.
1, 2010),
http://carnegieendowment.org/2010/09/01/iran-primer-supreme-leader.
8

has the power to vet all possibility for open office and exclude any who are not
esteemed sufficiently faithful to the preeminent pioneer.
Khamenei does not have the well-known bolster, charm and religious capabilities
that Khomeini delighted in, however his capacity to stay out of the spotlight added
to his political strength as of not long ago. He has reliably supported progressives
over reformers. His picture as the considerable balancer has been genuinely tested
by the debated 2009 races, his staunch safeguard of Ahmadinejad, and the
crackdown on dissidents.11

As an incomparable pioneer, Khomenei has power over the legal, the general
military and the world class Revolutionary Guards, and the state-controlled media.
He additionally has successful control over Iran's second most intense
establishment, the 12-part Guardian Council, which has the power to veto
discretionary hopefuls and veto parliamentary choices. (Khamenei selects a large
portion of its individuals, and in addition the legal boss who delegates the other a
large portion of.) The Iranian economy is generally state-controlled, and Khamenei
has the most power over how the nation's oil income is spent.
During Irans June 2013 elections, numerous opposition members were placed
under house arrested and were not allowed to contest in the elections. Opposition
figures Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi remained
under house arrest or detention at time of writing.
Authorities executed atleast 16 people on 2013, under the charges of moharebeh12,
or sowing corruption in Earth for their ties to armed opposition groups. Death
row has dozens of inmates cause of politically motivated prosecutions and trials
which are unfair. Atleast fourty Kurd prisoners are being held on terrorism
charges or on the charges of moharebeh.
11 Id.
12 Meaning action against God.
9

According to Reporters without Borders13, 40 bloggers and journalists were in

prison at the time of writing. Khomeni warned before the elections that the
elections would not be free and the journalists should not try to portray it like that.
On October 28, 2012, Bahar, the reformist daily was shut down as it printed an
article that questioned the history of Shia Islam.. They also severely cut back
Internet speeds and blocked proxy servers and virtual private networks that
Iranians used to escape filtering of the web.

Womens Rights have also been infringed to a large extent14.

Women candidates, all 30 of them had been expelled by the Guardian
Council for the presidential elections.
Iranian women face discrimination in matters related to marriage, divorce,
inheritance, and child custody.
A male guardians approval is required for a woman to marry, irrespective of
her age.
A woman may not obtain a passport or travel outside the country without the
written permission of a male guardian.
Iran limits political investment and vocation of non-Shia Muslim minorities,
including Sunnis, who represent around 10 percent of the populace. They
13 Islamic journalists urged to free all detained journalists and activists, REPORTERS
WITHOUT BORDERS (Apr. 10,
2015), available at
http://en.rsf.org/iran-islamic-republic-urged-to-free-all-10-04-2015,47775.html.
14 Womens rights, IRAN HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTATION CENTRE (ACCESSED ON 11TH
April), http://www.iranhrdc.org/english/womens-rights.html.

10

likewise keep Sunnis from building mosques in Tehran and directing

separate Eid petitions to God. Government focusing of Sufis, especially
individuals from the Nematollahi Gonabadi organization, proceeded
unabated. In July, progressive courts in Tehran and Shiraz sentenced
individuals from the Nematollahi Gonabadi15 organization to terms of one to
10.5 years for their quiet exercises.
The administration confined social and additionally political exercises
among the nation's Azeri, Kurdish, Arab, and Baluch minorities.
In September, Iran debilitated to oust countless Afghans without permitting
them to have their refuge cases considered reasonably and to test any request
to extradite them. At time of composing, Iran had not completed
arrangements to expel the Afghans, but rather the 2.5-3 million Afghan
displaced people and transient laborers living and working in Iran keep on
confronting genuine ill-uses.

DICTATORSHIP IN SAUDI ARABIA

Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al was the King of Saudi Arabia .He ascended to the
throne on 1ST August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd.
He established a dictatorship in Saudi Arabia.
The government that he had established, limited opportunities of representation,
affiliation and gathering, and took action against dispute, capturing and detaining
pundits, including human rights protectors. Numerous people got unfair trials
before courts that neglected to regard due methodology, including a unique court
that passed on capital punishments. New enactment adequately likened feedback of
15Dr. Mostafa Azmayesh, Human Rights violations against Dervishes from
Nematollah Gonabadi Sufi Order in Iran by security forces of the Islamic Republic of
Iran, INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION TO PRESERVE HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAN (Nov.
21, 2011), available at
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/dir/dv/hr_violations_dervish/hr_violations_dervishes.pdf.
11

the administration and other tranquil exercises with terrorism. The government
clipped down on online activism and scared activists and relatives who reported
human rights infringement. Victimization of the Shi'a minority stayed rampant;
some Shi'a activists were sentenced to death and scores got long jail terms16.

Torment of prisoners was allegedly regular; courts sentenced litigants on the

premise of torment corrupted "admissions" and sentenced others to lashing. Ladies
confronted segregation in law and hone, and were deficiently ensured against
sexual and other viciousness in spite of another law criminalizing aggressive
behavior at home. The government17 kept and summarily removed a large number
of outside vagrants, giving back some to nations where they were at danger of
genuine human rights misuses. The powers made far reaching utilization of capital
punishment and completed many open executions.

The government remained intolerant of dissent and repressed its critics, including
bloggers and other online commentators, political and womens rights activists,
members of the Shia minority, and human rights activists and defenders. The
government continued to ban judges from using social media for any purpose.

16 Lawrence Davidson, The USA Supports A Fanatical Dictatorship In Saudi Arabia

(Jan. 23, 2015), http://themillenniumreport.com/2015/01/the-usa-supports-afanatical-dictatorship-in-saudi-arabia/.
17 David Batty, Secret cinema gently subverts Saudi Arabia's puritanism,
CROWDVOICE (Oct. 17, 2012), http://crowdvoice.org/rights-violations-in-saudiarabia.
12

In May, a court in Jeddah sentenced blogger Raif Badawi18 to 10 years in prison

and a flogging of 1,000 lashes after convicting him on charges that included
insulting Islam for establishing the website Saudi Arabian Liberals, which
promoted political and social debate, and for criticizing some religious leaders. He
was initially charged with apostasy, which carries the death penalty. The court also
ordered the closure of the website. His prison term and flogging sentence were
confirmed by the Court of Appeal in September.
In October, the Specialized Criminal Court19 (SCC) in Riyadh sentenced three
lawyers Dr. Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, Bander al-Nogaithan and Abdulrahman alRumaih to prison terms of up to eight years to be followed by bans on travel
abroad after convicting them of impinging public order by using Twitter to
criticize the Ministry of Justice. The court also banned them indefinitely from
using any media outlets including social media.

The government did not permit the existence of political parties, trade unions and
independent human rights groups, and it arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned those
who set up or participated in unlicensed organizations.
All public gatherings, including demonstrations, remained prohibited under an
order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those who sought to defy the ban
faced arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on charges such as inciting people
against the authorities. In October, the government warned that it would arrest
anyone who defied the ban by supporting the campaign for women drivers.

18 Raif Badawi, the Saudi Arabian blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes, may now face death
penalty,THE INDEPENDENT (Mar. 1, 2015),http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middleeast/raif-badawi-the-saudi-arabian-blogger-sentenced-to-1000-lashes-may-now-get-thedeath-penalty-10077877.html.

19 Annual Internationational Report:Saudi Arabia, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL,

available at https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-northafrica/saudi-arabia/report-saudi-arabia/
13

Individuals from the Shi'a minority20, a large portion of who live in the oil-rich
Eastern Province, kept on confronting entrenched separation that restricted their
entrance to government services and occupation, and affected them in numerous
different ways. Individuals from the Shi'a group remained generally barred from
senior posts. Shi'a pioneers and activists were confronted with capture,
imprisonment after unjustifiable trials, and capital punishment.
In May, the SCC sentenced Ali Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr21 to death in the wake of
sentencing him on charges that included exhibiting against the administration,
ownership of weapons and assaulting the security forces. He denied the charges
and told the court that he had been tormented and compelled to admit in pretrial
detainment. The court sentenced him without examining his torment affirmations,
and sentenced him to death in spite of the fact that he was aged 17 at the timed of
the claimed offenses. In October, his uncle, Sheik Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, a Shi'a
minister from Qatif and vocal faultfinder of the administration's treatment of the
Shi'a minority, was sentenced to death by the SCC. Security forces captured Sheik
al-Nimr in July 2012 in questionable circumstances in which he was shot and
paralyzed in one leg. In August, the SCC sentenced another noticeable Shi'a
minister, Sheik Tawfiq al-'Amr, to eight years in jail, to be followed by a 10-year
ban on travelling abroad and a boycott on conveying religious sermons and open
talks.
Women and girls are subject to separation22 in law and practice. Ladies had
subordinate status to men under the law, especially in connection to family matters,
for example, marriage, separation, kid care and legacy, and they were insufficiently
protected against sexual and other violence. Aggressive behavior at home
20 Bayan Perezo, On being Shia In Saudi Arabia (accessed on 27 Mar., 2015),
http://www.gulfinstitute.org/wp-content/pdfs/shialifeinsaudiarabia.pd

21 Amnesty International, Death penalty for a juvenile activistist (Jun. 4, 2014),

http://www.refworld.org/docid/53916fa34.html

22 Elham Manea, Women in Saudi Arabia are caught in a system of gender apartheid (Dec.
12, 2013), http://www.dw.de/women-in-saudi-arabia-are-caught-in-a-system-of-genderapartheid/a-17330976

14

apparently stayed endemic, notwithstanding an administration mindfulness

bringing crusade propelled up in 2013.

MILITARY DICTATORSHIP
A military dictatorship is one where the entire authority is controlled by the
military. It is similar but not identical to a Stratocracy23.
The typical military dictatorship is ruled by a junta24. Other military dictatorships
are entirely in the hands of a single officer, most often the senior army commander.
In either case, the chairman of the junta or the single commander may often
personally assume office as head of state.
Most military dictatorships are framed after an overthrowing of the current
government. Before, military juntas have defended their standard as a method for
bringing political security for the country or saving it from the risk of risky
philosophies. Military administrations have a tendency to depict themselves as
non-factional, and a "nonpartisan" gathering that can give break initiative in times
of turmoil, furthermore have a tendency to depict regular citizen legislators as
degenerate and ineffectual. By and by, then again, military administrations can
regularly be very fierce, staying in force for long stretches of time and submitting
numerous human rights violations.
. We can extensively recognize two sorts here. In the first place, there is the
military-junta sort in whom the incomparable strategy making organ is a junta or
chamber of officers directing the three administrations (armed force, naval force
and the flying corps). The military junta normally designates a regular citizen
23 a form of government headed by military chiefs.It is not the same as a military
dictatorship or military junta where the military's political power is not enforced or
even supported by other laws.
24 A group of military officers ruling a country after seizing power.
15

bureau to administer under its power. Parties and lawmaking bodies are smothered
or else just a solitary authority party is allowed. Regularly gatherings and
assemblies are ostensible and subservient ancient rarity of the military official. The
military, as spoken to by its senior officers, plays the dynamic and preeminent part
in strategy making in the military junta sort of administration.

Also,
There is the presidential sort in which the military assume a steady part as opposed
to an inventive or dynamic part. Here, the ministry is framed to a great extent or
entirely from regular citizenry as opposed to military staff. In Zaire, for example,
the armed force's part is supportive of the president25.

25 Ajay Rathore, Meaning and features of military dictatorship (accessed on 17 April, 2015),
http://www.preservearticles.com/2012031026068/get-complete-information-on-the-meaningand-features-ofmilitary-regimes.html.

16

MILIATARY DICTATORSHIP IN FIJI

Since December 2006, Fiji has been ruled by military Strongman Commodore
Frank Bainimarama following a bloodless coup in which he overthrew elected
Prime Minister Qarase and named himself interim prime minister.
In 2009, President Josefa dissolved parliament, sacked the judges and abrogated
the Constitution. He reinstated Bainimarama as the Interim Prime minister. Anyone
that opposes that state faces trouble. Three TV journalists were deported last year
for commenting on Bainimaramas rule26.
Since taking power, he has neutralized his opponents, crippling Fijis democratic
institutions and nullifying the Great Council of Chiefs. The armed forced seems to
support him. Because he has treated the army well. Soldiers are paid well, lead
secure lifestyles and many families depend on those salaries.
And the people of Fiji are suffering. Since the coup, severe beatings by security
personnel caused the deaths of at least four people in government custody - the
killers of three of these men walk free. Members of the security forces were also
responsible for arbitrarily arresting, threatening and attacking peaceful political
26 Olga Yoldi, Trouble in Paradise (accessed on Apr. 1, 2015), available at
http://www.startts.org.au/media/Refugee-Transitions/Refugee-Transitions-Issue-22-trouble-inparadise-fidji.pdf

17

activists and human rights defenders. Presidential decrees perpetuate impunity by

granting immunity for security force personnel27.
Censorship is alive and well, with Information Ministry officers, often
accompanied by soldiers, operating inside the country's newsrooms since last
April. Censors have now branched out to block blogs critical of the government.
Meanwhile, the penalty for sedition has nearly tripled under the Crimes Decree
2009, climbing to seven years' imprisonment. And the latest - government critics
can be stripped of their pensions following a December 31 presidential decree.

The military abrogated the constitution on April 10, 2009, leading to the removal
of all judicial officers from office. Since then, Fiji's military government has
systematically undermined access to justice and the independence of the judiciary.
The government has reconstituted courts and commissions to its own
specifications, improperly intervened in the licensing of lawyers, and legislated to
prohibit legal challenges of its actions. Even judicial officers appointed by the
military government are not safe.
Bainimarama has long claimed that military rule was necessary to ensure a
restoration of democracy and the curtailing of corruption, and he has used this
argument to justify a number of legislative and policy practices applying onerous
restrictions on basic human rights. In his resignation he pledged to establish a
'better Fiji'. But whether that happens remains to be seen28.
Earlier in 2013, Bainimarama decided to scrap a previous draft of the constitution
developed by noted constitutional and human rights lawyer Professor Yash Ghai,
and instead handed duties to draw up a new constitution to government legal

27 Jessica Evans, UN needs to confront Fiji's abuse of basic human rights (Feb. 11, 2010),
http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/un-needs-to-confront-fijis-abuse-of-basic-human-rights20100210-nsaw.html

28 Shivalini Parmar, Rights Abuse continues in Fiji (April 9. 2014)

http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/08/rights-abuses-continue-fiji.

18

officers in the attorney general's chambers. Here again, he exercised absolute

control in determining Fiji's political path.
A combination of draconian laws, a pattern of intimidation and harassment of
those who are critical of the government, as well as reports of torture by the
security forces, have created a climate of fear in Fiji, said Rupert Abbott, Amnesty
Internationals Deputy Asia-Pacific Director29.
Following elections on 17 September, 2014, Banimaramas FijiFirst party won.
It only stands to see how much the effect of the military dictatorship remains in the
aftermath30.

DICTATORSHIP IN BURMA
Burma has been afflicted by ethnic conflict and civil war since independence in
1948, and has experienced one of the longest running armed conflicts in the world.
Following independence from Britain, several ethnic groups took up arms against
the central government. They were dissatisfied with the newly formed Union of
Burma, which they felt did not guarantee them equal rights and autonomy. In 1962
the army staged a coup against the democratically elected government and created
a one-party state led by the Burma Socialist Programme Party31.
29Amnesty International, Fiji: Bainimarama must end climate of fear (Aug. 6, 2014),
https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2014/08/fiji-bainimarama-must-end-climate-fear.

30 See also, Freedom under threat in Fiji, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL (accessed on 20th april,
2015), http://www.amnesty.org.nz/our-work/pacific/fiji

31 Marco Bunte, Burmas Transition to Disciplined Democracy: Abdication or

Institutionalization of Military Rule? (August 2011), available at http://www.gigahamburg.de/en/system/files/publications/wp177_buente.pdf
19

The constitution was abrogated, all opposition activists put behind bars and any
attempt to organise was severely repressed. The army took over all state functions,
controlling all aspects of political, economic and social life in the country. Largescale protests against military rule broke out in 1988 in the central part of the
country. After a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations, the regime
organised general elections in 1990, in which the National League for Democracy
(NLD), led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won a landslide victory.
However, the regime refused to acknowledge the results. Calls from the opposition
and the international community to initiate a tripartite dialogue among the army,
democratic opposition and ethnic groups were ignored. Political oppression and
military campaigns in ethnic areas continued.
But Burmas military dictatorship is different for four historical reasons a strong
military tradition, a relatively weak civil society, a long-standing fear of national
disintegration and an equally long-standing fear of foreign intervention32.
The second source of military power is the historically weak nature of civil society.
In addition to all these historically-driven factors, military dictatorship has
benefited from Burmas ancient tradition of political deference. Many scholars see
this as stemming, at least in part, from the Buddhist belief that political power (or
indeed any other form of personal success) is a direct consequence of merit gained
in previous lives. It is a form of meritocracy where karmic merit is inherited
through reincarnation.

The first general election in 20 years was held in 2010. This was hailed by the
junta as an important step in the transition from military rule to a civilian
democracy, though opposition groups alleged widespread fraud and condemned the
election as a sham33.
32 Rob Attar, Burma: Why its military dictatorship still survives (Dec. 24, 2010),
http://www.historyextra.com/burma

33 Agence France-Presse, Burma junta leaders retirement in March actually not a ruse:
official (Nov. 25, 2011), http://news.nationalpost.com/news/burma-junta-leaders-retirementin-march-actually-not-a-ruse-official

20

It was boycotted by the main opposition group, Aung San Suu Kyi's National
League for Democracy (NLD) - which had won a landslide victory in the previous
multi-party election in 1990 but was not allowed to govern.
A nominally civilian government led by President Thein Sein - who served as a
general and then prime minister under the junta - was installed in March 2011.
However, a new constitution brought in by the junta in 2008 entrenched the
primacy of the military. A quarter of seats in both parliamentary chambers are
reserved for the military, and three key ministerial posts - interior, defense and
border affairs - must be held by serving generals.
"The joke in Burma is that Than Shwe has transferred power from his right
hand to his left," said Aung Zaw, editor of The Irrawaddy, an online magazine
published by Burmese exiles in Thailand. "He still goes to his office every day. He
is still the ultimate authority."34
According to a Human Rights Watch report35,
Armed conflict between the Burmese government and the Kachin Independence
Army (KIA) continued in Kachin State in the north, where tens of thousands of
civilians remain displaced. The government has effectively denied humanitarian
aid to the displaced Kachin civilians in KIA territory. In conflict areas in Kachin
and Shan States, the Burmese military carried out extrajudicial killings, sexual
violence, torture, forced labor, and deliberate attacks on civilian areas, all which
continue with impunity. Ceasefire agreements in ethnic conflict areas of eastern
Burma remain tenuous.

34 Robert Horn, Is Burma's Strongman Really Retiring? (Apr. 11, 2012),

http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2064470,00.html

35 World Report 2013:Burma, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (2013), available at

http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/burma?page=1

21

Former military generals hold most senior ministerial portfolios and serving
generals are constitutionally guaranteed the posts of ministers of defense, home
affairs, and border affairs security. Many former military officers hold important
positions in the ruling military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party.
Internally displaced Kachin swelled to an estimated 90,000 in 2012, and the
government continued to prevent international nongovernmental organizations and
UN agencies access to IDP camps in KIA-held territory to provide humanitarian
assistance. Kachin fleeing to China to escape violence and persecution were not
welcome36.
Burmese security forces committed killings, rape, and mass arrests against
Rohingya Muslims after failing to protect both them and Arakanese Buddhists
during deadly sectarian violence in western Burma in June 2012. Over 100,000
people were displaced by widespread abuses and arson. State security forces failed
to intervene to stop the sectarian violence at key moments, including the massacre
of 10 Muslim travelers in Toungop that was one of several events that precipitated
the outbreak. State media published incendiary anti-Rohingya and anti-Muslim
accounts of the events, fueling discrimination and hate speech in print media and
online across the country37.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
The following is a comparative analysis of the religious and military dictatorships
involving the case studies (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Fiji and Burma)
36 Id.
37 See also, Tom Kramer,Ending 50 years of military rule? Prospects for peace,
democracy and development in Burma (Nov. 2012), available at,
http://www.peacebuilding.no/var/ezflow_site/storage/original/application/00a4e800d
45def2a0a82e6f0f71eb3c8.pdf
22

FORMATION OF THE DICTATORSHIP

Military dictatorships are mostly a result of a Coup d'tat, which is the
overthrowing of the current government. If we infer from previously mentioned
data, we can see that the dictatorships in both Fiji and Burma were result of Coup
d'tats. Fiji was the result of a coup headed by the Commodore Frank Bainimarama
while Burma had the army revolt against the democratic state in 1962. General
Than Shwe spearheading this and creating a one-party state under the rule of
Burma Socialist Programme Party.
In the religious dictatorships, we can see that the case is not the same. In Saudi
Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al ascended the throne after the death of his halfbrother, King Fahad. It was he who started the dictatorship.
In the case of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was the one who started the
dictatorship. And he transferred his reigns to the capable successor, Ali Khamenei.

USE OF FORCE
The use of illegal force is rampant among the four dictatorships.
Fiji38- Amnesty reports says, Security forces in Fiji have become
increasingly menacing towards people who oppose the regime, including
journalists and human rights defenders. Fiji is now caught in a downward
spiral of human rights violations and repression. Only concerted
international pressure can break this cycle. A litany of repressive tactics
used by the interim military government to stifle any protests and intimidate
its critics. These include beatings, arbitrary arrests and detention, harassment
of human rights defenders, and severe limitations on the fundamental rights
to freedom of expression, opinion, and association39.
38 Supra at n.28
39 Human Rights Violation in Fiji, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL (sep. 8, 2012),
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0909/S00084.htm

23

 Iran40- Iranian authorities regularly subject prisoners; especially those

convicted on politically-motivated charges, to abuse and deprive them of
necessary medical treatment. Security forces deprived Hossein Ronaghi, a
rights activist and blogger, and opposition leaders Mousavi and Karroubi,
from receiving the regular check-ups doctors had recommended for serious
medical conditions. Authorities executed at least 16 people in 2013 on the
charge of moharebeh (enmity against God) or sowing corruption on
earth for their alleged ties to armed opposition groups, including eight
Baluch prisoners executed in retaliation for the killings of more than a
dozen border guards along the Iran-Pakistan border. Dozens of others are on
death row for terrorism-related charges following politically-motivated
prosecutions and unfair trials. Sharia law is also implemented which makes
human rights violation more in number.
Burma41- Hundreds of people, including children, were arbitrarily detained,
held in incommunicado detention, and subjected to cruel, inhuman and
degrading treatment in places of detention without access to appropriate or
adequate medical care. There continued to be some reports of torture and
other ill-treatment, occasionally leading to death in custody.
For example,
Myo Myint Swe died in a police station in Yangon in July after he was
accused of involvement in a murder. His body showed signs of torture.
There was no comprehensive and independent mechanism to investigate
possible war crimes and crimes against humanity, leaving victims and their

40 World Report 2014, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (accessed at 16th April, 2015), available at
http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2014/country-chapters/iran?page=1

41 Annual Report 2013, Myanmar, AMNESTY International (May. 23, 2014), available at
http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/annual-report-myanmar-2013?page=3

24

relatives with inadequate access to measures of truth, justice and reparations.

Many of those involved in grave human rights violations had not been
brought to justice.
Saudi Arabia42- Security authorities carried out arbitrary arrests and
continued to hold detainees without charge or trial for long periods, with
scores of people held for more than six months without being referred to a
competent court, in breach of the countrys Code of Criminal Procedures.
Detainees were frequently held incommunicado during interrogation and
denied access to lawyers, in violation of international fair trial standards.
Torture and other ill-treatment remained common and widespread, according
to former detainees, trial defendants and others, and were used with
impunity. In a number of cases, courts convicted defendants solely on the
basis of pre-trial confessions without investigating their claims that these
confessions had been extracted under torture, in some cases sentencing the
defendants to death.

CONTROLLED MEDIA
Fiji- In 2009, Fijis government extended for another 30 days its
emergency regulations that, among other things, controls public gatherings
and forbids the media from printing stories that undermine the Government
and the State of Fiji. These rules allow the Permanent Secretary of
Information the ability to place censors in newsrooms, accompanied by
plainclothes policeman43.
Media outlets and journalists faced instances of legal and official harassment
in 2012. In October, the Fiji High Court ruled that the leading daily
newspaper, the Fiji Times, was in contempt of court over an article
42 Annual Report, Saudi Arabia, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL (accessed at 21 st April, 2015),
https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/saudi-arabia/reportsaudi-arabia/

43 Michael Hartsell, Bloggers detect media censorship (May. 11, 2009),

https://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/11/fiji-bloggers-debate-media-censorship/

25

republished from a New Zealand newspaper in November 2011 that

questioned judicial independence in Fiji.
Fiji does not have a freedom of information law, and access to government
information can be difficult44.
Iran- At least 40 journalists and bloggers were in Irans prisons at time of
writing, according to Reporters Without Borders. On December 28, 2012,
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly warned journalists and
others against suggesting that Irans elections would not be free.
In late January, authorities arrested more than a dozen journalists, apparently
in connection with their coverage of the upcoming elections and alleged
affiliations with foreign media but released most by late February. On
October 28, authorities shut down the reformist daily, Bahar, five days after
it published a controversial article thought to question a historical event in
Shia Islam. They also severely cut back Internet speeds and blocked proxy
servers and virtual private networks that Iranians used to circumvent
government filtering of websites45.
Burma- On 20 August 2014, the Ministry of Information announced the end
of all pre-publication censorship procedures and on the same day issued a
strict set of publishing guidelines prohibiting, among other things, negative
criticism of state policies. The Ministry still required articles to be submitted
to the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division after publication.
In early August, the government created the Myanmar Core Press Council to
serve as an interim body to monitor and address media issues until the new
media law was enacted. There was strong opposition to its lack of
independence, composition, and authority by journalists. A new interim
Press Council was established in mid-September; more than half of its
members were journalists.

44 Fiji, FREEDOM OF THE PRESS (accessed on 21st April, 2015),

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2013/fiji#.VT-xJyGqqko

45 supra at n.40
26

 Saudi Arabia46- he government remained intolerant of dissent and repressed

its critics, including bloggers and other online commentators, political and
womens rights activists, members of the Shia minority, and human rights
activists and defenders. The government continued to ban judges from using
social media for any purpose.
In May, 2014, a court in Jeddah sentenced blogger Raif Badawi to 10 years
in prison and a flogging of 1,000 lashes after convicting him on charges that
included insulting Islam for establishing the website Saudi Arabian
Liberals, which promoted political and social debate, and for criticizing
some religious leaders. He was initially charged with apostasy, which carries
the death penalty. The court also ordered the closure of the website. His
prison term and flogging sentence were confirmed by the Court of Appeal in
September. Public gatherings, including demonstrations, remained
prohibited under an order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those who
sought to defy the ban faced arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on
charges such as inciting people against the authorities. In October, the
government warned that it would arrest anyone.

46 Supra at n.19.
27

CONCLUSION
After a successful comparative analysis, we find that the elements of
dictatorship, that is, the similar points are present in both religious and
military dictatorships. Although the formation and the ideologies may
differ in comparison, the effect the dictatorship has on the common
people is unfortunately, quite similar.
Severe human rights violations, suppression of the people and
discrimination towards the minority societies are some of the darts that
hit the same target. The suppression of people through an authoritative
rule (in case of military dictatorship) or a case of promulgation of a
religious law; Sharia, for example (in case of a religious dictatorship).
Similar arbitrary arrests and detentions without any hope of a fair trial
seem to be the channeling factor between all the dictatorships.
The death count has risen quite a lot and it is only in the hands of the
international community to take strict action against these horrific acts.
Awareness should be spread so that the people of the world can unite
their voices into a much stronger one to protest against the detestable
acts done by the people who like to act God. Fiji and Burma seems to be
evolving into a democracy. But sadly, the same cannot be said for the
religious dictatorships where the extremist theocrats seem to have
entrenched themselves deep within the power structure of the country.

28

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS
GENE SHARP, FROM DICTATORSHIP TO DEMOCRACY: A
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR LIBERATION (1981).

JENNIFER FANDEL, DICTATORSHIP (Maitland Books, 2001).

CARL SCHMITT, DICTATORSHIP (Polity Press, 2013).
BRUCE BUENO DE MESQUITA & ALASTAIR SMITH, THE
DICTATORS HANDBOOK (PublicAffairs, 2012).

BRYCE BLACK, THE AUTUMN OF DICTATORSHIP (ZhangoBooks,

2013).

WEB RESOURCES
Joshua J. Mark, Sargon at Akkad (Sept. 2, 2009),
http://www.ancient.eu/Sargon_of_Akkad/.
The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica, Nicolae Ceauescu (accessed on 14th
April, 2015), http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/100972/NicolaeCeausescu.
Sue Sullivan, What are the negative consequences of dictatorship? (Jul. 20, 2014),
http://www.quora.com/What-are-negative-consequences-of-dictatorship.
Ed Farr, The real problem with theocracy (Jan. 14, 2015),
http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2015/01/14/the-real-problem-with-theocracy/.
Kal Penn, Towards a libertarian theocracy (accessed on 17th April, 2015),
http://libertariantheocracy.tumblr.com/.
Karim Sadjadpour, Iran primer: The supreme leader,CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT
FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE (Sept. 1, 2010),
http://carnegieendowment.org/2010/09/01/iran-primer-supreme-leader.
29

Islamic journalists urged to free all detained journalists and activists,

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS (Apr. 10,
2015), available at http://en.rsf.org/iran-islamic-republic-urged-to-free-all-10-042015,47775.html
Womens rights, IRAN HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTATION CENTRE
(ACCESSED ON 11TH April), http://www.iranhrdc.org/english/womensrights.html.
Dr. Mostafa Azmayesh, Human Rights violations against Dervishes from
Nematollah Gonabadi Sufi Order in Iran by security forces of the Islamic Republic
of Iran, INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION TO PRESERVE HUMAN
RIGHTS IN IRAN (Nov. 21, 2011), available at
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/dir/dv/hr_violations_dervish/hr_violations_dervishes.pdf.
Lawrence Davidson, The USA Supports A Fanatical Dictatorship In Saudi Arabia
(Jan. 23, 2015), http://themillenniumreport.com/2015/01/the-usa-supports-afanatical-dictatorship-in-saudi-arabia/.
David Batty, Secret cinema gently subverts Saudi Arabia's puritanism,
CROWDVOICE (Oct. 17, 2012), http://crowdvoice.org/rights-violations-in-saudiarabia.
Raif Badawi, the Saudi Arabian blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes, may now face
death penalty,THE INDEPENDENT (Mar. 1, 2015),
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/raif-badawi-the-saudiarabian-blogger-sentenced-to-1000-lashes-may-now-get-the-death-penalty10077877.html.
Annual Internationational Report:Saudi Arabia, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL,
available at https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-northafrica/saudi-arabia/report-saudi-arabia/.
Bayan Perezo, On being Shia In Saudi Arabia (accessed on 27 Mar., 2015),
http://www.gulfinstitute.org/wp-content/pdfs/shialifeinsaudiarabia.pdf.
Amnesty International, Death penalty for a juvenile activist (Jun. 4, 2014),
http://www.refworld.org/docid/53916fa34.html.
30

Ajay Rathore, Meaning and features of military dictatorship (accessed on 17 April,

2015), http://www.preservearticles.com/2012031026068/get-completeinformation-on-the-meaning-and-features-of-%20military-regimes.html.
Shivalini Parmar, Rights Abuse continues in Fiji (April 9. 2014),
http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/08/rights-abuses-continue-fiji.
Amnesty International, Fiji: Bainimarama must end climate of fear (Aug. 6, 2014),
https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2014/08/fiji-bainimarama-must-endclimate-fear.
See also, Freedom under threat in Fiji, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL (accessed
on 20th april, 2015),http://www.amnesty.org.nz/our-work/pacific/Fiji.
Marco Bunte, Burmas Transition to Disciplined Democracy: Abdication or
Institutionalization of Military Rule? (August 2011), available at http://www.gigahamburg.de/en/system/files/publications/wp177_buente.pdf.
World Report 2013:Burma, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (2013), available at
http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/burma?page=1.
World Report 2014, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (accessed at 16th April, 2015),
available at http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2014/country-chapters/iran?page=1.
Annual Report 2013, Myanmar, AMNESTY International (May. 23, 2014),
available at http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/annual-report-myanmar2013?page=3.

31