Abstract

• The civil-military relations (CMR) refers not only interactions and balance of power between the elected civilian politicians and military leadership but also relations between the military as an autonomous institution within the state and other non-military apparatus of the state, as well as civil society. For a country in transition from military to civilian government, CMR plays an important role in the consolidation of democracy. Civil-military dynamics are shaped by historical, cultural, political, societal and international factors. With the military’s power embedded in the 2008 constitution and 2017 constitution, the military plays a critical role in shaping the civilian government pathway in Myanmar and Thailand. Although both countries are practicing democracy by the civilian governments, the military remains as a central role in politics. To achieve a consolidated democracy, it is necessary to have healthy CMR with civilian control over the military. Because of such circumstances, this paper aims to analyze the interactions and balance of power between the civilian and the military from the comparative perspective of Myanmar and Thailand. Upon the CMR in Myanmar and Thailand, the research question focuses on how Myanmar and Thailand establish their CMR towards democratization and democratic consolidation and what the similarities and differences on CMR are in Myanmar and Thailand during the transition from military to civilian governments.