Disrespect for Human Rights and Contentious Participation: Evidence from China

This study examines the relationship between the perception of human rights conditions and individual participation in contentious political activities in China. The empirical results show that people perceiving higher levels of disrespect for human rights are more likely to sign a petition, join the boycott movement, attend demonstrations, strike, and participate in other forms of protests. The results confirm the optimistic perspective that people perceiving human rights violations tend to participate in contentious politics in an effort to fight for their rights. This suggests that human rights abuses will stimulate public contentious participation, which then endangers the stability of the regime.