The US-led air strikes on Afghanistan that began on 7 October 2001 are only the latest episode in a conflict that has lasted 20 years. This conflict has left Afghanistan's infrastructure devastated and its people at the bottom of the UN’s Human Development Indices. This new Report situates Afghanistan in its regional and international context. It explains the political, social, religious and ethnic factors underlying the country’s recent history, debunking some of the simplistic and stereotyped views of the country and its population. The Report also gives a detailed picture of the interaction between domestic conditions and foreign interests that led to the rise and dominance of the Taliban. It describes the impact of prolonged conflict on the people of Afghanistan, and the way in which the conflict has become ethnicized. It ends with a set of Recommendations to prevent the escalation or perpetuation of the conflict.

‘Let us unite and work together ...’ These words were spoken by the independence hero Aung San, at the 1947 conference where the ethnic principles of the future Union of Burma were agreed. Within six months, Aung San and most of his cabinet had been assassinated. Following independence from Great Britain in 1948, a pattern of conflict and state failure was established that has lasted to the present day. A country of abundant natural resources and human potential at independence, by the late 1980s Burma/Myanmar had declined to Least Developed Country status. However, as this report goes to press, there is a small chance that Burma and its peoples may be turning towards peace after decades of conflict. The author, Martin Smith, describes the pre-colonial and colonial roots of the conflicts that have dominated Burma in the second half of the twentieth century, and the attempts to resolve them at independence. He discusses the periods of parliamentary democracy, military socialist and ‘transitional’ military rule. In a section on the peoples of Burma, he gives an overview of the main ethnic minority groups: Chin, Chinese, Indians, Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Mon, Naga, Rakhine and Shan. From the 1990s, Burma has begun to open up to humanitarian agencies; the report describes how these projects have so far produced understanding of the needs of the country, rather than delivering decisive progress. Major human rights issues are also discussed: extrajudicial killings, displacement of populations, forced labour, illegal use of landmines and child soldiers. The position of women and restrictions on freedom of expression of minority cultures, and the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS and the trade in narcotics are also covered. This timely report gives a concise picture of the major conflicts in Burma during the last century and the issues it faces in this one, at a crucial moment in its history.

First published in 1952, the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology) is well established as a major bibliographic reference for students, researchers and librarians in the social sciences worldwide. Key features * Authority : rigorous standards are applied to make the IBSS the most authoritative selective bibliography ever produced. Articles and books are selected on merit by some of the world's most expert librarians and academics. * Breadth : today the IBSS covers over 2000 journals - more than any other comparable resource. The latest monograph publications are also included. * International Coverage : the IBSS reviews scholarship published in over 30 languages, including publications from Eastern Europe and the developing world. * User friendly organization : all non-English titles are word sections. Extensive author, subject and place name indexes are provided in both English and French. Place your standing order now for the 2002 volumes of the the IBSS Anthropology : 2002 Vol.48 December 2002: 234x156: 0-415-32634-6: u195.00 Economics : 2002 Vol.51 December 2002: 234x156: 0-415-32635-4: u195.0 0 Political Science : 2002 Vol.51 December 2002: 234x156: 0-415-32636-2: u195.00 Sociology : 2002 Vol.52 December 2002: 234x156: 0-415-32637-0: u195.00

Ethnic and tribal loyalties in Afghanistan provided the lethal cocktail for the violent conflict that engulfed the country following the collapse of the Soviet backed government in 1992. The ensuing fighting between mujahideen groups paved the way for the tectonic social and political shifts, which continue to shape events today. What accounts for the emergence of ethnicity, as the main cause of conflict in Afghanistan? What moved people to respond with such fervour and intensity to calls for ethnic solidarity? This book attempts to make sense of ethnicity’s decisive role in Afghanistan through a comprehensive exploration of its nature and perception. Based on new data, generated through interviews, field notes and participant observations, Sharma maps the increased role of ethnicity in Afghan national politics. Key social, political and historical processes that facilitated its emergence as the pre-dominant fault-line of conflict are explored, moving away from grand political and military narrative to instead engage with zones of conflict as social spaces. This book will be of interest to students and scholars working in politics, ethnic studies and security studies.

Political stability has been a central theme of policy for all governments and political systems in the history of modern Afghanistan. Since its inception in the mid-nineteenth century, the country experimented with a diverse succession of political systems and state ideologies matched by few other countries' political histories. In the span of less than nine decades since independence in 1919, the Afghan state was substantially restructured at least a dozen times. This volume looks at Afghanistan's historic relations with Central and South Asia, ethno-nationalism and development, Soviet occupation and transformation of relations with Pakistan, stability of the Islamic State and regional cooperation. It examines how Afghanistan's different political systems reformed and readjusted policies to make them more conducive to political stability. Yet political stability, at best, has remained a dream unrealized in Afghanistan.

The main charateristics of Afghanistan recent history and political development forms background to an analysis of the situation of the various minority ethnic groups. Ends with one page of recommendations to the international community; the parties of the conflict; the countries of refuge; and to the Afghan government.

We live in a world that not only sets standards for, but also professes its commitment to promoting and protecting ‘rights’. Since ours is an age of heightened public interest in auditing the actual realisation of such standards and commitment, the first major focus of this book is a critical account of international standards aimed at the protection of minorities. To that end, it concentrates on four key dimensions. Firstly, it addresses the issue of the identification of minorities as understood by international law. Secondly, it outlines a brief history on the development of international law towards improving the protection of minorities. Thirdly, it gives an overview of international instruments and mechanisms on minorities. Finally, it analyses the rights of minorities under international standards. All these dimensions point to the fact that international minority rights lag behind the development of other branches of rights. The second major focus of this book is to relate international standards on minority protection to South Asian regimes. Concentrating on India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Afghanistan, an endeavor is made to examine the state of minorities and their protection under the domestic regimes. It emerges that the normative commitments of these states are more or less compatible with international standards. Nevertheless, majority-minority syndrome persistently remains as one of the causes behind multidimensional deprivation and victimization of South Asian minorities. The present book also assesses the extent to which regional cooperation in South Asia has so far contributed to extending protection to minorities. This ends with an argument that SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) has the potential to play a far greater role in this regard.

In a comprehensive study of the world since September 11th, 2001, the contributors to this volume offer a series of perspectives on current security trends. The scholars who participated in this study are from Europe, North America and Asia.

In a comprehensive study of the world since September 11th, 2001, the contributors to this volume offer a series of perspectives on current security trends. The scholars who participated in this study are from Europe, North America and Asia.