THE SASAKAWA PEACE FOUNDATION

Confidence Building in Security among Southeast Asian Countries and Japan

20,000,000 yen [Self-Operated/Commissioned/Grant Project]
The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Prateepsasana Foundation for Educational Development (Thailand), S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)

Myanmar military officers belong to the political elite, but lack basic knowledge of international relationships and multilateral security systems because of their long term closed systems that are causing serious problems in international society. To improve the situation, the project aims to provide middle rank military and government officers with training in security and confidence building by Japanese experts and experts from S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University of Singapore. The self-operated project will plan Japan visits for Myanmar military officers to promote exchange between Japanese and Myanmar security people, thus contributing to the promotion of peace in Asia. In 2006 the project was unable to launch in full-scale as it did not manage to obtain permission from the SPDC (State Peace and Development Council). The following activities are planned this year assuming that permission can be obtained.

(Self-Operated Project)

Two Japanese experts will be sent to two training workshops organized by S Rajaratnam School of International Studies of Nanyang Technological University － one in Yangon in July and the other in Singapore in November.
Study Tour in Tokyo (December 2007): 10 will be screened out of a pool of participants in the aforementioned workshops for an invitation to Japan on a week-long study tour. Under the cooperation of the National Institute for Defense Studies, lectures on security issues, opinion exchanges and on-site visits to the Defense Ministry and JSDF-related facilities are scheduled.
Researches on Security of Myanmar
Prateepsasana Foundation for Educational Development will be commissioned to conduct interviews with intellectuals in nine ASEAN member countries and other necessary researches to carry out the project.

(Grant Project)

Implementation of "Capacity Building on Security in Myanmar" project (Grant Recipient: S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University)

(Second year of a 3-year project)