Journal Article - Journal of Peace Research
Swords into Ploughshares? Why Human Rights Abuses Persist after Resistance Campaigns
Human rights abuse tends to increase during national crises, such as civil wars and mass nonviolent uprisings. Under what conditions does this abuse abate or persist? I argue that violent challenges provoke much more coercive state responses, exposing more personnel within the security forces to extreme forms of repression and priming them (both leaders and followers) to reproduce these behaviors after the conflict has terminated. This effect is mitigated or avoided when challengers rely on nonviolent tactics instead of violence, leading to less post-conflict abuse. I test this argument with several quantitative methods, which establish a positive association between nonviolent resistance campaigns and subsequent freedom from political killings. Results also suggest that democratization can partially — but not fully — counteract the repressive legacies of violent conflict. By choosing to specialize in nonviolent tactics, therefore, resistance leaders avoid a repression trap that not even democratization can fully disarm.
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For Academic Citation:
Shay, Christopher Wiley . "Swords into Ploughshares? Why Human Rights Abuses Persist after Resistance Campaigns." Journal of Peace Research, vol. 60. no. 1. (2023): 141–156.
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Human rights abuse tends to increase during national crises, such as civil wars and mass nonviolent uprisings. Under what conditions does this abuse abate or persist? I argue that violent challenges provoke much more coercive state responses, exposing more personnel within the security forces to extreme forms of repression and priming them (both leaders and followers) to reproduce these behaviors after the conflict has terminated. This effect is mitigated or avoided when challengers rely on nonviolent tactics instead of violence, leading to less post-conflict abuse. I test this argument with several quantitative methods, which establish a positive association between nonviolent resistance campaigns and subsequent freedom from political killings. Results also suggest that democratization can partially — but not fully — counteract the repressive legacies of violent conflict. By choosing to specialize in nonviolent tactics, therefore, resistance leaders avoid a repression trap that not even democratization can fully disarm.
Want to Read More?
The full text of this publication is available via Journal Of Peace Research.Shay, Christopher Wiley . "Swords into Ploughshares? Why Human Rights Abuses Persist after Resistance Campaigns." Journal of Peace Research, vol. 60. no. 1. (2023): 141–156.
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
Journal Article - Journal of Global Security Studies
Glee and Grievance: Emotive Events and Campaign Size in Nonviolent Resistance
Book - Oxford University Press
Civil Resistance: What Everyone Needs to Know
Analysis & Opinions - The Washington Post
This May Be the Largest Wave of Nonviolent Mass Movements in World History. What Comes Next?
In the Spotlight
Most Viewed
Analysis & Opinions - Project Syndicate
If Trump Returns
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
-Belfer Center Fellow Peter Ajak Navigates Challenges from Lost Boy to South Sudanese Activist
Analysis & Opinions - Slate
Big Tech Isn't Prepared for A.I.'s Next Chapter