Compliant Rebels
Rebel Groups and International Law in World Politics

This book analyzes civil wars over the past twenty years and examines what motivates some rebel groups to abide by international law.

Hyeran Jo (Author)

9781107525672, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 February 2017

354 pages, 12 b/w illus. 3 maps 22 tables
20 x 15 x 2 cm, 0.51 kg

'[This book] expertly traces how rebel groups seek legitimacy from domestic and international audiences concerned with human rights and draws on original research on rebel groups' behavior.' Award Committee, 2015 Chadwick Alger Prize, International Studies Association

Seventeen million people have died in civil wars and rebel violence has disrupted the lives of millions more. In a fascinating contribution to the active literature on civil wars, this book finds that some contemporary rebel groups actually comply with international law amid the brutality of civil conflicts around the world. Rather than celebrating the existence of compliant rebels, the author traces the cause of this phenomenon and argues that compliant rebels emerge when rebel groups seek legitimacy in the eyes of domestic and international audiences that care about humanitarian consequences and human rights. By examining rebel groups' different behaviors such as civilian killing, child soldiering, and allowing access to detention centers, Compliant Rebels offers key messages and policy lessons about engaging rebel groups with an eye toward reducing civilian suffering in war zones.

Part I. Puzzle of Compliant Rebels: 1. Introduction
2. Background
3. A theory of rebel compliance
Part II. Evidence of Compliant Rebels: 4. From theory to evidence
5. Civilian killing
6. Child soldiering
7. Access to detention centers
Part III. Implications of Compliant Rebels: 8. Repertoires of rebel compliance
9. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Human rights & civil liberties law [LNDC], International human rights law [LBBR], Public international law [LBB], Civil rights & citizenship [JPVH1], Human rights [JPVH], International relations [JPS], Comparative politics [JPB], Social & political philosophy [HPS]