THE HINDU, Sept 27: A STUDY by a Mumbai based think-tank, Strategic Foresight Group (SFG), has confirmed what many long feared: Sri Lanka has emerged as the most militarised society in South Asia. More worrying is the conclusion that it could get worse unless urgent action is initiated towards ending the 23-year-old conflict.

The study, �€œCost of conflict in Sri Lanka,�€ says the island nation has 8,000 military personnel per one million population. Even Pakistan �€” of which it is said that while every country has an army the Pakistan army has a country �€” has only half that number, 4,000 military personnel per one million population. The figures for other South Asian countries are: Nepal 2,700; India 1,300; and Bangladesh 1,000.

In terms of military expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), too, Sri Lanka spent the most �€” 4.1 per cent. In the case of Pakistan it is 3.5 per cent; 2.5 per cent in the case of India and Nepal; and 1.5 per cent in the case of Bangladesh. The figure cannot be expected to be an accurate representation of the actualities as there is very little information and knowledge about the military expenditure by the LTTE.

http://www.tsunamiresponsewatch.org/trw/2006/09/28/south-asias-most-militarised-society/