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Description of  Defect or Defend: Military Responses to Popular Protests in Authoritarian Asia

142141516X pdf Why do certain militaries brutally suppress popular demonstrations, while others support the path to political liberalization by backing mass social movements? Although social movements and media can help destabilize authoritarian governments, not all social protest is effective or culminates in the toppling of dictatorships. Frequently, the militarys response determines the outcome. In Defect or Defend, Terence Lee uses four case studies from Asia to provide insight into the militarys role during the transitional phase of regime change. Lee compares popular uprisings in the Philippines and Indonesiaboth of which successfully engaged military support to bring down authoritarian rulewith protest movements in China and Burma which were violently suppressed by military forces. Read more