Termination of Ethnic Civil Wars: Partition - Term Paper Example

?[Your full full April 26, Termination of Ethnic Civil Wars: Partition Nation is the identity of every person. Nations provide people with a number of considerable benefits, such as housing, education, separate identity, security, health benefits, and employments. The role of a government is very important in providing equal benefits to every group and every individual living in the country. When a group of people living in any specific country is not provided with equal human rights as they are provided to other people living in that country, feelings of hatred and detestation arise in the minds of people belonging to that ethnic group. Such feelings are never in favor of a country because they start destroying the foundations of the country slowly and gradually. When a group of people starts feeling unprivileged as compared to other people, they raise their voice against the government officials and the government’s discriminating policies, which results in starting a civil war. Kirschner, in an article states, “Individuals are more likely to continue fighting once a war begins, foreseeing severely restricted opportunities, if not annihilation, under the current state”. The best way to deal with such kinds of problems is to negotiate with the ethnic groups in order to know their concerns. If a government becomes unable to satisfy the people properly, chances of conflicts start increasing in the country, which leads the country towards many problems, such as, demand for separation or partition within the state. Chapman and Roeder state, “Partition is more likely than alternative institutional arrangements—specifically, unitarism, de facto separation, and autonomy arrangements—to preserve the peace and facilitate democratization” (677-691). Partitions, which are used to establish peace in a country, are one of the ways to deal with the conflicts when the negotiations do not come up with proper solutions for the issues. In this paper, we will discuss the effectiveness of partitions in terminating the ethnic civil wars in any specific region of the world. Effectiveness of State Partitions Partition is a way for the government of a country and for the ethnic group to resolve all issues between them. Partition is one of the strategies to terminate all sorts of ethnic wars in a country. When government do not find any other way to the solution of the problems, it starts thinking of partition within the state in order to let the ethnic groups live their life on their own. However, it is never an easy decision for any government because partition destroys the autonomy and power of the government of the country. Partitions not only affect the political structure and but also affect the control of central government. Apart from these disadvantages of partition, there are several advantages of partition for the ethnic groups. Let us discuss some of the most considerable benefits in some detail in order to get a better understanding of how partitions terminate the possibility of ethnic civil wars in a country. Solution to Ethnic Wars Partitions are a good solution to the end of ethnic wars. Ethnic conflicts give rise to many problems for a country. They not only destabilize the economy of a country but also disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the whole nation. Ethnic conflicts arise when a group of people belonging to some specific culture or society start feeling unprivileged and ignored by the government. Such groups raise their voice to stop discrimination and unfairness against minorities and to give full protection to their rights. When a government fails to fulfill the demands of the ethnic groups, they start movements and strikes against the government. It acts as the starting point towards partition. Such groups start demanding a separate nation or a separate place where they can live their lives independently and in accordance with their cultures. In history, there are many examples in which different movements against the governments have led the way towards partition of the states. We can take example of the Indian subcontinent, which was partitioned in two independent states in 1947. In the Indian subcontinent, there was the government of British who were ruling the entire region for so many years. Conflicts occurred when Muslims living in the Indian subcontinent started feeling that the Hindu community living in the region was snatching their rights. Muslims started to demand a separate nation from the British government. British government initially tried to overlook the demands of the Muslim community but when the movement against the government reached its peak and the economy started to fall due to unstable political and economic atmosphere, British government accepted the demands of the Muslim community and announced partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. As the result of partition, two independent states came into existence, which were India and Pakistan. A good aspect of the partition was that United Nations and all big economies of that time recognized the partition and established good relations with the newly formed states. Moreover, no other ethnic minority present in that region tried to demand for partition after the successful partition of the Indian subcontinent. The point to consider is that the partition resulted in settling the disputes in the Indian subcontinent and the two countries, which came into existence due to partition, started a new and peaceful journey towards growth and development. Muslims, who were the ethnic minority in the Indian subcontinent, got their separate nation where they could perform their rituals and daily activities without any fear. The partition not only resulted in the economic growth and development of both countries but also stabilized the peace of the whole region. Therefore, we can say that partitions are a good way to resolve the ethnic civil wars only if there is no other solution to end the conflicts. Partitions are a good way to end the conflicts only if there is no chance of recurrence of ethnic civil wars in the country. Chapman and Roeder state, “Civil war settlements create institutional arrangements that in turn shape postsettlement politics among the parties to the previous conflict” (677-691). Moreover, demographic recognition of new states and absence of military strength of other ethnic minorities are also the key factors behind the success of partitions. Sambanis states, “The success of partition depends on the demographic reorganization of the new territories and on the absence of militarily significant minorities in the new states” (437-483). One of the negative aspects regarding partitions is that they encourage low-level ethnic groups to start movements against the governments when the see the major ethnic groups winning their rights in the form of successful partitions. Sambanis states, “Partitions do not help prevent recurrence of ethnic war and that they may not even be necessary to stop low-level ethnic violence” (437-483). Although partitions are a way to end ethnic wars, there is an element of recurrence in partitions, which make them a not so fitting method of settling minor disputes. Recurrence means that some minor ethic groups can also raise their voice against the government due to any specific reason. Here, one point to be considered is that successful partitions do not encourage occurrence of partitions anywhere in the country again. It is because in successful partitions, international community is involved which looks after all aspects of the ethnic war and decides partition as the best way to end the conflicts. The most negative aspect of ethnic civil wars is threat to the security of people. Sambanis states, “The so-called security dilemma lies at the core of partition theory” (437-483). Solutions to ethnic wars, such as, state re-building, sharing of powers, and identity reconstruction are not complete solutions. They can reduce the strength of ethnic minorities but are somewhat ineffective in dealing with the security element of ethnic civil wars. Therefore, we can say that partition is an effective strategy to terminate the ethnic civil wars. However, the efficacy and durability of partitions depend largely on demographic recognition of new states by the international community, absence of military strength of other ethnic minorities present in those states, no chances of recurrence of separation demands, and development and maintenance of good relations with other countries by the newly formed states. Solution to War of Nationalists Nationalists and extremely nationalists are two different concepts although they produce the same meaning. “Nationalism is a powerful tool, as it takes its strength from the sentiments of belonging that most individuals possess” (Hughes). Nationalism means patriotism, which exists in the heart of every citizen. Being extremely nationalist is somewhat a different concept. When a group of people does not want any kind of influence of other people on their nation, this is called extreme nationalism. It sometimes leads to various problems not only for the country where the movement of nationalism starts but also for the whole world. Influence of other nations on any other country is a reality in the today’s world, which everyone needs to accept. As the world has become global village, mutual trade has been increased which needs the cooperation of different economies. Similarly, terrorism in different parts of the world has led the way towards presence of military of different nations in those parts of the world in order to stabilize their peace and economic conditions. Therefore, influence of one country on other countries has become a reality in the today’s world. Conflicts occur when a group of people starts thinking that the government of some other country is snatching their rights. Such groups start movement either for total independence from the influencing nations or for coming under the influence of the desired nation. The war of nationalists gives rise to war between different nations. World war-I is a perfect example of war, which occurred due to nationalism. The desire of the Slavic peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina to unite with the Serbs instead of being the part of Austria and Hungary led to the origin of war (Kelly). The people belonging to Bosnia and Herzegovina did not want to remain under the influence of Austria and Hungary; rather they wanted to live their lives under the influence of Serbs who were very close to the culture and religion of the people of Bosnia. Kelly further states, “The nationalism of the various countries throughout Europe contributed not only to the beginning but the extension of the war in Europe”. This way, nationalism of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina gave rise to the war of nationalism in the region and put super powers of that time into war. Had the governments of Austria and Hungary considered the demands of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and given them the freedom to live under the influence of Serbs, at least this cause of the world war-I would have been eradicated. Therefore, we can say that freedom of choice to live under the influence of any desired country is another form of partition or separation and is a good way to terminate the occurrence of wars of nationalists. Self-Government and Self-defense Having discussed partitions as the way towards the solution of ethnic civil wars and the wars of nationalists, let us now discuss two of the major benefits, which the separated parts of the country or of any specific region of the world gain from the partitions. Self-Government One of the greatest benefits of partitions is self-government. When a part of a country succeeds in separating itself from the influence of the central or provincial government, a new government forms in that part of the country. Self-government provides autonomy, independence, and sovereignty to the separated parts of a country. Self-government allows people to live their lives according to their desired cultures and traditions. Self-government provides independence and sovereignty to the people. There is no enforcement of any foreign law on the people living in the independent states. There a number of benefits associated with the concept of self-governance. Some of the most considerable benefits include employment opportunities, development of new ministries, independent use of budget, end of political disputes, proper check and balance system, implementation of effective law and order system, and improvement in the economic conditions. These are the benefits, which make partitions and self-governance an eye-catching prospect for the ethnic minorities. Self-Defense Self-defense is one of the needs associated with partitions. When a country becomes independent in sense of economy, government, and development, it needs to form an independent defense system in order to stop invasions from other countries and to maintain the law and order system of the country. Self-defense provides security to the people belonging to the ethnic groups. Development and implementation of a proper self-defense system is very essential in the today’s world. It is a fact that countries try to take charge of other countries in order to increase their control in different parts of the world. Some countries try this for showing dominance whereas some countries try this to take control of the precious raw materials present in the underdeveloped countries. The partitioned states must have the ability to protect the lives of the people living in those countries. The chances of foreign influences and invasions become very less when the partitioned states develop their own defense system. Self-defense not only protects the lives of the people but also injects the feelings of independence, integrity, and confidence in the minds of the people living in the newly emerged nations. There are three major elements of self-defense, which include military, police, and the intelligence agencies. All of these work in different ways to ensure protection of the states. Kaufman’s Solutions to Ethnic Conflicts Ethnic civil wars are a constant threat to peace and stability of the economy of the world. They play a critical role in destabilizing the law and order situation of the countries. Some of the main countries where ethnic wars really gained fame include Bosnia, Turkey, Sudan, Kashmir, and Croatia. Ethnic conflicts not only destroy the economy of the countries but also build the foundations of threat for all other countries of the world. Many of these ethnic conflicts are violent enough to call for military interventions by other states. Chaim Kaufmann, in his article Possible and Impossible Solutions to Ethnic Civil Wars, has presented different possible and impossible ways of terminating ethnic civil wars. Stable resolutions are a perfect way to end ethnic wars in a country. Kaufmann states, “Stable resolutions of ethnic civil wars are possible, but only when the opposing groups are demographically separated into defensible enclaves” (136-175). When the opposing groups are separated, it reduces the chances of opportunity for further combats. Moreover, the reasons and chances of ethnic cleansing of unarmed civilians also reduce up to a great extent. Kaufmann found that the three main ways to terminate ethnic wars include complete victory of one party, using international forces to suppress movements, and self-governance of separate communities (136-175). The best way to deal with ethnic civil wars is through negotiations with the conflicting parties. Negotiations always come out with some sort of solution towards the issue but it needs cooperation of all parties involved in the process of negotiations. However, it hardly happens that all involved parties are sincere towards the resolution of problems. The ethnic groups hardly let any of their demands left overlooked by the government, which is the main reason why ethnic conflicts lead towards partitions at the end of the day. Another way to terminate ethnic civil wars is by enforcing peace using international forces. International forces take charge of the whole territory in order to establish peace in the country. Although it is a successful way to suppress ethnic wars but it is not a lifelong solution to the conflicts. This solution works as long as the international forces remain in the region for establishing peace but when they leave the country, ethnic groups start destabilizing the peace and economy of the country once again. Self-governance of the separate communities is another idea presented by Kaufmann in the article. If ethnic groups show their concerns regarding equal human rights, they should be given a chance of self-governance so that they can live their lives according to their own culture and traditions. This is a possible way to terminate the chances of ethnic civil wars. Self-government in any specific part of a country needs to fulfill some conditions of the central government of that country. For example, in Canada, the procedure for completing the procedure of self-governance includes submission of proposal, acceptance of the terms, signing the framework agreement, accepting the agreement in principle, signing the final agreement and ratification, and implementation of the self-government. Complete victory of one conflicting party is another way to terminate ethnic civil wars in a country. Complete victory is often known as partition because an ethnic group, which is not happy with the policies of the central government, wants to separate from the influence of the central government and that can only happen through partitioning of the state. Although it is a good way to terminate civil wars but it affects the sovereignty and power of the whole country. Division of land also divides the minerals and natural resources that a country uses for progress and development. Therefore, state partitions although terminate the wars, but result in destabilizing the economic progress of a country because of division of natural resources. Complete victory partitions can only be successful if they are recognized by all major economies of the world and if the international community takes deep interest in the political and economic stabilization of the newly formed states. Conclusion Summing it up, partitions are one of the ways to deal with the conflicts when the negotiations do not come up with proper solutions for the issues. The most significant concerns related to state partitions include recurrence of partition demands and security issues. Successful partitions are those, which are recognized by the international community and where there are no chances of recurrence. State partitions, although limit the powers of the central government, but result in settling the disputes raised by the ethnic minorities present in any part of the world. Therefore, we can say that partitions, if done properly and wisely, are a good strategy, which the governments can use to terminate the ethnic civil wars in any part of the world. Works Cited Chapman, Thomas, and Philip Roeder. “Partition as a Solution to Wars of Nationalism: The Importance of Institutions.” American Political Science Review 101 (2007): 677-691. Print. Hughes, Katy. “What is Nationalism?.” Suite101.com, 06 May 2008. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. Kaufmann, Chaim. “Possible and Impossible Solutions to Ethnic Civil Wars.” International Security 20.4 (1996): 136-175. Print. Kelly, Martin. “Top 5 Causes of World War 1.” About.com, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. Kirschner, Shanna. “Fear and Ethnic Civil War Duration.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer House Hotel, Chicago, IL, 12 Apr. 2007. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. Sambanis, Nicholas. “Partition as a Solution to Ethnic War: An Empirical Critique of the Theoretical Literature.” World Politics 52.4 (2000): 437-483. Print. Read More