International Legitimacy and the Domestic Use of Force: A New Theoretical Framework PDF
Preview International Legitimacy and the Domestic Use of Force: A New Theoretical Framework
Contemporary Security Studies INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY AND THE DOMESTIC USE OF FORCE A NEW THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Megan Price ‘Why do states feel the need to justify the domestic use of force to international audiences? How do they go about it? And what does this tell us about the politics of international legitimacy? Megan Price addresses these questions in this groundbreaking book. What’s more, she tackles them by reference to two fascinating cases that fall outside the standard focus on western powers: Indonesia’s intervention in Aceh (2003–05) and Sri Lanka’s recourse to force (2006–09) against the Tamil Tigers. This book is for anyone who is interested in the legitimacy of military force.’ —Cian O’Driscoll, Australian National University International Legitimacy and the Domestic Use of Force This book examines how states justify the domestic use of military force to foreign audiences. By deploying a sociological approach to legitimacy and drawing on conceptual tools which deal directly with the dynamics of justification, it offers a novel framework for understanding the politics of international legitimacy and domestic armed action. The framework is grounded in detailed qualitative analyses of civil wars in Sri Lanka (2006–2009), and Aceh, Indonesia (2003–2005). The book shows that the meaning of legitimacy in a particular context does not flow directly from a menu of relevant rules, norms and ideas. Rather, legitimacy is always politically contested. When states justify fighting at home, the success of their claims is determined by their capacity to appeal to rules and norms but also to frame their action in ways that their audiences find compelling. Therefore, the framework offered in this book draws attention to the crucial but largely neglected role of audiences in the constitution of legitimacy. This book will be of interest to students of security studies, law, human rights and international relations. Megan Price is a Sessional Lecturer in the School of Political Science and International Studies, at the University of Queensland, Australia. Contemporary Security Studies Series Editors: James Gow and Rachel Kerr King’s College London This series focuses on new research across the spectrum of international peace and security, in an era where each year throws up multiple examples of conflicts that present new security challenges in the world around them. NATO and Transatlantic Relations in the 21st Century Foreign and Security Policy Perspectives Edited by Michele Testoni Reconciliation After War Historical Perspectives on Transitional Justice Edited by Rachel Kerr, Henry Redwood, and James Gow Militia Order in Afghanistan Guardians or Gangsters? Matthew P. Dearing Prosecutorial Discretion in the International Criminal Court Legitimacy and the Politics of Justice Farid Mohammed Rashid Drones and Global Order Implications of Remote Warfare for International Society Edited by Paul Lushenko, Srinjoy Bose, and William Maley Understanding Russian Strategic Behavior Imperial Strategic Culture and Putin’s Operational Code Graeme P. Herd International Legitimacy and the Domestic Use of Force A New Theoretical Framework Megan Price For more information about this series, please visit: https://www.routledge.com/ Contemporary-Security-Studies/book-series/CSS International Legitimacy and the Domestic Use of Force A New Theoretical Framework Megan Price First published 2023 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 Megan Price The right of Megan Price to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record has been requested for this book ISBN: 978-0-367-76494-4 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-76502-6 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-16722-8 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003167228 Typeset in Goudy by MPS Limited, Dehradun Contents Acknowledgements viii Introduction 1 1 Language: Approach and Key Concepts 17 2 Legitimacy and the Domestic Use of Force: Charting a Theoretical Approach 33 3 The Sri Lankan Conflict (2006–2009): Justifications 54 4 The Aceh Conflict (2003–2005): Justifications 87 5 The Sri Lankan Conflict (2006–2009): Audience Responses 117 6 The Aceh Conflict (2003–2005): Audience Responses 129 7 The Politics of International Legitimacy 144 Conclusion 166 Index 175 Acknowledgements This book started its life as an Honours project back in 2014 and I have accumulated many debts of gratitude in the interim. It would be outrageous if I did not start by firstly thanking my PhD supervisors Matt McDonald and Sarah Percy. Matt took me on as an honours student and since then he has been an ever-patient and encouraging supervisor and mentor. He read all my drafts in their earliest and ugliest forms and though he would never admit it, I know that his efforts were beyond the call of duty. At crucial junctures in this project, Sarah’s insights and advice brought much-needed clarity. Sarah also has the knack of knowing exactly when her students require an injection of positivity. When it comes to writing, not every day is a good day. Because I started my PhD when I was very young, I did some of my growing up in the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland. On that count, I don’t think I could have been more fortunate. It’s widely known that UQ is home to some formidable politics and IR talent. It’s also full of extremely kind, honest, and quite funny people. I would like to thank everyone in the school for that. After finishing my PhD, I was crazy enough to say yes when Chris Reus-Smit asked me if I wanted to join his hiking group in Nepal. Since those 26 spectacular and frequently gruelling days in the alps, Chris has been an invaluable friend and mentor to me. I owe an enormous intellectual debt of gratitude to Ian Clark who was finishing his career just as I was starting mine. Without his work on legitimacy, my project would never have gotten off the ground. Ian was also kind enough to help me conceive the parameters of my work. The initial PhD project was materially supported by the Australian Postgraduate Award, which afforded me the privilege of researching on a full-time basis. I received very constructive and detailed feedback on my PhD from my examiners – Mlada Bukovansky and Cian O’Driscoll. The reviewers and series editors at Routledge offered thoughtful advice, enabling me to dramatically improve the work. I would also like to thank Eden Bywater for helping me prepare my final manuscript. Throughout the project, I leant on many friends and family. For their unwavering friendship, I acknowledge Erin, Sam, Bonny, and Ingrid as well as my fellow doctoral students Federica, Sarah, Neil, Andrew, Paul, Jack, Molly, Josie, Cormac, and Jamal. An honourable mention must go to my football Acknowledgements ix teammates and coaches at The Gap and Lions FC. Football kept me sane for much of my research and I will always cherish the friendships I made while playing. Lastly, there is my family. To my mother, it feels like only yesterday that we started our PhDs. Now look at us, we are publishing our books! To my father, thank you for being a willing cook, barista, and replacer of flat car batteries. And lastly, thank you to Lisa for your love and support. Some sections of the book have been published previously. I would like to thank the publishers for granting me copyright permission to use the material in the monograph. In particular, some sections of Chapter 3 were previously published in ‘The End Days of the Fourth Eelam War: Sri Lanka’s Denialist Challenge to the Law of War’ in Ethics and International Affairs (Spring 2022). Reprinted with permission of Cambridge University Press.
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