Introduction

There are many published studies of Asian security affairs available. As Asia’s strategic importance becomes more evident to Westerners due to its population, economic prowess, and power, such studies are certain to proliferate. The present study does not focus on the international political, economic, or military affairs of Asia but on the domestic role of Asian armed forces in contemporary Asian societies. Discrete studies of this type have been done previously, but never have studies of all the lay Asian armed forces—from Northeast to South Asia—been brought between two covers. This volume is an effort to fill that void and expand our understanding of this vital subject. Comprehending the dynamics of Asian armed forces’ domestic roles is crucially important if we are to assess correctly the foreign and defense policy options on Asia’s horizons. In this sense, the chapters in this volume provide collectively the basis for further research into contemporary Asian strategic affairs as well as insights into the military’s role in the domestic affairs of individual countries.