Open AccessReconsidering the Classification of Perpetrators in instances of Genocide and Mass Atrocity
Author(s) -
Sabah Carrim
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
review of human rights
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2520-7032
pISSN - 2520-7024
DOI - 10.35994/rhr.v6i1.116
Subject(s) - genocide , misnomer , framing (construction) , criminology , criminal responsibility , psychology , political science , sociology , law , criminal law , geography , philosophy , theology , archaeology
The terms “primary”, “mid-level” and “lower level” are employed to qualify perpetrators of mass atrocities, based on the magnitude of guilt and criminal responsibility. Could this classification be a misnomer? Could the relationship among perpetrators, or the roles they assume be more intricate, warranting a reassessment of the existing hierarchy? This paper explores the need to be more circumspect in penning perpetrators in categories, especially in complex scenarios of mass atrocity. To do so, the Non-Solitarist View of Human Identity and Framing Theory are used to explore the matter, with a focus on perpetrators of the Khmer Rouge era.