Abstract
States around the world have lost control over their territory to armed non-state actors, including states like Yemen, Afghanistan and Myanmar in the Asian region. This article aims to understand why these states are unable to exercise control over all of their territory. The study identifies and examines four major challenges faced by states in maintaining control over their territory – lack of state legitimacy and effectiveness, strategic motives of armed non-state actors, socio-economic motives of armed non-state actors and external intervention. A comparative analysis of the cases of Yemen, Afghanistan and Myanmar illustrates the wide relevance of these challenges faced by the states with respect to territorial control.
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