What is genocide?
You may have an idea of what genocide is, but do you know the exact definition?
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG) defines Genocide as “any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious groups, as such:
- killing members of the group;
- Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
- Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life;
- Calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
- Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group, and;
- Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”
In 1948, the CPPCG stated that genocide is a crime under international law, and is “condemned by the civilized world.”
Is what’s going on in Darfur genocide?
It’s under debate. The UN has said that the crisis in Darfur is a horrible crime against humanity, but they claim that there is not enough to declare in genocide. Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said that there was in fact genocide in Darfur, but no one else in the UN has called it that. However, like Secretary Powell, a long list of people HAVE stated that they believe there is genocide going on in Darfur, including:
- U.S. Senator John Kerry
- U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman
- U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
- Genocide Intervention Network
- U.S. Senator Barack Obama
- Physicians for Human Rights
- U.S. Committee for Refugees
- Justice Africa
- Genocide Watch
The United Nations and Africa Nation stated that the Janjaweed are responsible for the mass murders of civilians in Darfur, but not genocide.
How do countries respond to genocide?
Countries that have signed the CPPCG are required to take action against acts of genocide, as well as try to prevent it in peace and wartime. However, some countries that have signed this convention signed under the condition that they could not be charged with acts of genocide without their consent. This immunity was used by the U.S. when Yugoslavia accused the U.S. of genocide in the 1999 Kosovo War.
The problem with acting against genocide is that it is hard to determine when situations are actually acts of genocide. Sudan is a perfect example. Even though hundreds of thousands have already been killed and millions have been displaced, it is not officially considered genocide, so countries aren’t really required to take action under the CPPCG. Even though it’s not considered genocide, UN officials and world leaders all agree that what is going on in Sudan is just as bad as genocide, and know that something must be done.
Do countries have their own rules about genocide?
Several countries have their own laws about how to deal with genocide. In Canada, the War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity Act makes it illegal to commit genocide, either in or outside of Canada. However, there were accusations of genocide in Canada between 1895 and 1984 that were never addressed.
The United States recognized genocide if it was committed in the U.S. or by a U.S. citizen, and if found guilty, a person can be faced with the death penalty or life in prison. The also may be banned from entering the U.S., or can be deported.
Sources:
Save Darfur - www.savedarfur.org
Wikipedia - www.wikipedia.org
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