Professor Simon Payaslian publishes new book
BU History Professor released a new book, The Political Economy of Human Rights in Armenia: Authoritarianism and Democracy in a Former Soviet Republic (I.B.Tauris, 2011. Pp. 417).
Book description:
“Since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the Republic of Armenia has experienced a reversal from a brief period of democratization to a Soviet-style authoritarian regime. This study juxtaposes the history of the Armenian people with the evolution of international human rights standards, and contends that centuries of foreign domination and authoritarian rule have impeded the development of modern Armenian political culture, political institutions, and legal philosophy. Having lived under Ottoman, Persian, and Russian rule, and subsequently under the Soviet regime, Armenians inherited a legacy of a statist and authoritarian political culture.
The proclamation on independence adopted in August 1990 emphasized the principles of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and international law and declared that Armenia guarantees civil and political rights and liberties. Since independence, however, the post-Soviet government has yet to demonstrate its ability to promote internationally acceptable standards for the protection of human rights. The volume underscores the clash between sovereignty on one side and human rights and democracy on the other. It offers an assessment of the human rights record of the post-Soviet governments under Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharyan, and Serzh Sargsyan, the impact of the oligarchies on the political system, the extent to which citizens can exercise their right to change the government democratically, and the weaknesses of civil society, of the legislative and judicial branches, and of the opposition political parties. The analysis focuses on police brutality, women’s rights, the rights of children, and the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons.”