Clark D. Neher

Demi-Democracy: The Evolution of the Thai Political System . By Likhit Dhiravegin. Singapore: Times Academic Press, 1992. xiii, 242 pp.

Thailands political system is unique. Traditional forces and modern pressures both play important roles, interacting frequently with one another. Although in theory these two elements are diametrically opposed, in practice, they have been combined and partly reconciled. This partial reconciliation is at the heart of what the author calls demi-democracy, or halfway democracy. To explain more fully the concept of demi-democracy the author goes back in history to trace the origins of the system, studying the nature of the old Thai kingdoms, analysing the rise to power of certain important families and exploring the influence over many decades of foreign, especially Western, states and their ideological leanings. Professor Dhiravegin shows that the many factors in Thailands political evolution have led to a vicious circle in the Thai political process, a circle which cannot be wished away. Indeed, the only way to avoid any large-scale bloodshed in Thailand is to treat both elements seriously and let demi-democracy mature until a more fully democratic system is put into place.

Asia's security challenges

The Asia-Pacific Region has changed from a region of permanent crisis to a major economic growth area of the world. This is mainly based on the stability of the region despite some conflict potentials. Consequently the influence of new challenges for national security is of great importance for the analysis of the future developments of this region. Security is one of the crucial needs for the individual as well as the nation or state. A comprehensive security approach is recognised by most of the Asian nation states, but most of the regional organisations in Asia are lacking it. Nevertheless, the coming era of globalisation, increasing interdependence, closer communication networks, and a growing ecology factor will show the need for closer co-operation and more regionalisation in order to fulfil the requirements of the nation state towards its inhabitants. The chapters contained in this volume provide an invaluable guide to a modified security approach in Asia, which can be the first step of building a common Asian security thinking. The covering of major security challenges as well as the regional security panoramas and the selected country profiles provide a crucial overview concerning this complex problem.

Whither the Asian Model of Development

The End of the “Asian Model”? Edited by Holger Henke, Ian Boxill. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Co., 2000. 220 pp.,

Freedom in Asia

53.95 (ISBN: 1-55619-745-4). Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines. By David C. Kang Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 220 pp.,

Democracy and Development in Southeast Asia: The Winds of Change

60.00 cloth (ISBN: 0-521-80817-0),

Democratization in Southeast and East Asia

23.00 paper (ISBN: 0-521-00408-X). For a decade prior to the 1990s, students and specialists of economic development viewed the Asian Model as setting the standard for rapid economic growth and improved standards of living. The dramatic growth of economies in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore in particular far surpassed that of the Western industrialized economies. Numerous books extolled the virtues of the Asian Model. Corporations in the United States sent delegations to Japan to learn the “secrets” of Japanese economic success. One problem with the concept of the Asian Model, of course, is that “Asia” is not a homogeneous area. Indeed, the regions heterogeneity is paramount, despite the view of many that Asia will be the twenty-first centurys premier region. Moreover, in the early 1990s the Asian Model began to lose its luster. Japan began its long recession, and in 1997 the Asian economic crisis severely and negatively affected standards of living throughout most of the region. All of a sudden economic prospects seemed to reverse direction. Japanese investors gave up real estate and other holdings in the West, and delegations of Japanese and Korean corporate and government leaders visited the United States and Europe to find more effective ways of running their economies. In this context, a key strength of Holger Henke and Ian Boxills The End of the “Asian Model”? is their understanding of Asias diversity as well as their related view that the transfer of one nations development theory to another is problematic. Henke and Boxill have chosen to include separate chapters on a unique set of Asian nations: Singapore, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, and the Island Pacific. This array of nations …

The balancing act : a history of modern Thailand

Asian Freedoms: The Idea of Freedom in East and Southeast Asia, David Kelly, Anthony Reid, eds. (Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 1998). 228 pp., cloth (ISBN: 0-5216-2035-X),

Buddhism and politics in Thailand : a study of socio-political change and political activism of the Thai Sangha

64.95; paper (ISBN: 0-5216-3757-0),

ASEAN: Identity, Development, and Culture . Edited by R. P. Anand and Purificacion V. Quisumbing. Quezon City and Honolulu: University of the Philippines Law Center and East-West Center Culture Learning Institute, 1982. xxx, 411 pp.

22.95. Book reviewed: Asian Freedoms: The Idea of Freedom in East and Southeast Asia , David Kelly and Anthony Reid, eds.