The Prosecution Of Former Military Leaders In Newly Democratic Nations

During the 1970s and 1980s, many countries with military governments moved to more democratic ones as their citizens uncovered more and more evidence of horrific violations of human rights such as torture and execution. The newly established civilian governments were confronted with the difficult questions of whether military leaders should be prosecuted for their crimes. Often, the threat of military intervention to protect their own hovered in the background. This book focuses on the countries of Argentina, Greece, and South Korea--three countries that have been in this situation--and examines the effects that trying former military leaders have on the transition to democracy. In Argentina, the trials of former military leaders sparked a rebellion by the armed forces. In Greece and South Korea, the trials met with little response from the military.

This book examines the changes in politics, economics, society, and foreign policy in South Korea since 1980. Starting with a brief description of its history leading up to 1980, this book deals with South Korea's transition to democracy, the stunning economic development achieved since the 1960s, the 1997 financial crisis, and the economic reforms that followed and concludes with the North Korean nuclear crisis and foreign relations with regional powers. The theoretical framework of this book addresses how democratization affected all of these dimensions of South Korea. For instance, democratization allowed for the more frequent alternation of political elites from conservative to liberal and back to conservative. These elites initiated different policies for dealing with North Korea and held different views on South Korea's role in its alliance with the United States. Consequently, ideological divides in South Korean politics became more stark and the political process more combative.

This comparative work examines the political role played by armed forces in South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Taiwan. The work brings together theory and empirical study, analyzing how security threats have shaped the military's organization, doctrine, and domestic political role at various stages of political development, from the state-building period to today's post-democratization era. Using four representative case studies, Woo sets to answer: What determines the armed forces' political influence? How does it affect political development? How do democratically elected leaders establish civilian control over them? The book first looks at how security threats led to military expansion and authoritarianism at the onset of the Cold War. Next, it examines military dictatorial rule, followed by a study of the military's withdrawal process during democratization. Lastly, it focuses on contemporary civil-military dynamics in the four countries, discussing the obstacles faced by civilian authority and what maybe the most desirable model for civil-military relations in post-democratization Asian societies. "Security Challenges and Military Politics in East Asia" will be an essential resource for anyone studying Asian political development, civil-military relations, and comparative democratization.

This book explores South Korea's phenomenal economic rise and the impact that this has had on the country's foreign policy.

This exciting new text consolidates the hows and whys of researching powerful people. Written by a leading authority in the field, this book introduces the reader to a significant area of methodology, and provides a research-based contribution to elite and leadership studies. It offers a truly international perspective that will appeal to those studying and engaging with powerful people in a variety of contexts. Useful features include: - A variety of case studies and examples linked to over 1000 sources and resources - Extensive use of figures throughout the text to illustrate key points - Templates and models for planning and presentations The book promotes a practical future-oriented approach to support and inspire academic, professional and civil society researchers at all levels. It introduces new research frameworks and facilitates critical techniques through Critical Process Analysis. This is a must-have resource and an excellent new addition to the field of elite and leadership studies.

How can civilians in newly democratized countries ensure their control over the military? While establishing civilian control of the military is a necessary condition for a functioning democracy, it requires prudent strategic action on the part of the decision-makers to remove the military from positions of power and make it follow their orders.

Universal human rights standards were adopted in 1948, but in the 1970s and 1980s, violent dictatorships in Argentina and Chile flagrantly defied the new protocols. Chilean general Augusto Pinochet and the Argentine military employed state terrorism in their quest to eradicate Marxism and other forms of "subversion." Pinochet constructed an iron shield of impunity for himself and the military in Chile, while in Argentina, military pressure resulted in laws preventing prosecution for past human rights violations. When democracy was reestablished in both countries by 1990, justice for crimes against humanity seemed beyond reach. Thomas C. Wright examines how persistent advocacy by domestic and international human rights groups, evolving legal environments, unanticipated events that impacted public opinion, and eventual changes in military leadership led to a situation unique in the world—the stripping of impunity not only from a select number of commanders of the repression but from all those involved in state terrorism in Chile and Argentina. This has resulted in trials conducted by national courts, without United Nations or executive branch direction, in which hundreds of former repressors have been convicted and many more are indicted or undergoing trial. Impunity, Human Rights, and Democracy draws on extensive research, including interviews, to trace the erosion and collapse of the former repressors' impunity—a triumph for human rights advocates that has begun to inspire authorities in other Latin American countries, including Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, and Guatemala, to investigate past human rights violations and prosecute their perpetrators.