Reasons and Targets in Genocide Crime - Essay Example

Genocide al Affiliation Genocide has been described as a crime identified in the international criminal law, besides the local management by the governments of individual nations, which most people understand. It is currently being handled by the international criminal court in the international level to bring justice to the offended and the oppressed, while working to apprehend the suspected perpetrators. Perpetrators of the crime of genocide have different intentions on a targeted group based on race, nationality, ethnic group or religion, either because they are rebellious or appear to be threats among other reasons. This document distinguishes several types of perpetrators and their involvement in genocide through examples. It also defines the content of the crime according to the international law and the convention towards the prevention and punishment of genocide. Finally, the different kinds of genocide based on their intent as retributive, cultural, latent, optimal, and utilitarian are discussed. Keywords: Perpetrators, Groups, Genocide, Crimes of Genocide, International Criminal Court, Rebellious Groups, Minority, Majority, Intent, Race, Ethnic, Religion, Nationality International Crime Most people in the society tend to use the general concepts such as mass murder and massacre, while referring to genocide. They may also associate the delivery of justice with the local governments after the crime, since they have no idea of the international protection by the law. Genocide is a crime defined in the international criminal law, and is currently handled by the International Criminal Court (ICC), based in the Netherlands at Hague. The ICC aims to protect the potential victims, bring to trial or apprehend suspected perpetrators, while giving justice to the affected in the society. Several international organizations define the crime based on destruction targeting a particular group of people within a domain; however, what distinguishes the crime from others is the motivation behind it. According to Rummel (2002), history shows different situations where people had been murdered under the authority of their rulers and governments, either in war or by strict instructions given to exterminate rebellious groups; even though, legal application of the term ‘Genocide’ came into use first in the indictment of the Nazi war criminals, at Nuremburg tribunal between 1945 and 1946, in association with Raphael Lemkin. Although the ICC is an independent judicial system, it works closely with the United Nations to uphold human rights and campaign against genocide. The crime and Perpetrators The crime of genocide is not limited to mass killings but it covers a wide scope. It is defined in the international law in the convention on the prevention and punishment of genocide to be such acts as killing members of a group, forcibly transferring children of a group to another grouping, causing severe mental or bodily damage to members associated with a group, inflicting measures planned to prevent births within the group, and deliberately inflicting on the group, conditions of life designed to bring about its physical obliteration in part or whole, while any of them is committed with an aim of destroying in whole or part a national, religious, ethical or racial group (Stanton, 2002). The perpetrators range from governments, oppositions, social or international organizations, military, internal or external terrorists among others. However, the governments have been associated with numerous mass murders before and after the legal application of the term genocide. For example, “governments of the Soviet Union and few of the successors, Japan (1937-45: 6), Cambodia Khmer Rouge (1975-79: 2), Turkey (1909-18: 1.9), Vietnam (1945-87: 1.7), North Korea (1948-2002: over 2), Poland (1945-48: 1.6), Pakistan (1958-87: 1.5), Mexico (1900-20: 1.4), Russia (1900-17: 1.1), and Yugoslavia under Tito (1944-87:1)” expressing the period and totals of those killed in millions respectively (Rummel, 2002). The most recent and modern cases of such crimes arise from political issues and leadership, civil collisions, and the most rampant terrorism attacks. Reasons and Targets in Genocide Crime The causes leading to genocide arise from hatred, revenge, rebellion, and competition within local or international population. As conflicts become serious, hate speeches and actions are used to express bitterness, which may lead mass destruction in humans. Depending on the issue causing the conflict, the perpetrator defines the target group. Issues may be political, economical, religious, or social among others. Inability to access resources also emerges as reason why one group as the perpetrator may decide to engage in the genocide crime. Such resources are like the basic needs, health care, and other necessities as measures being denied to certain members of a group fall here (“Famine, 2012”). This is where the governments or the authorities come in and protect the targeted group, while trying to maintain peace and order. Political controversies separate the society into two, those who support and those who oppose. The opposing group may hinder the success of the other group and thereby take the blame. In matters of faith, the perpetrator may target a particular group associated with a religion to defend and allow development for his. Hatred between different races and ethical groupings are attempts to define who among the groups is superior to the other, such target groups existed in the Rwandese 1994 genocide, which involved the Hutu and Tutsi. On national level, the Kenyan 1998 blast, followed by the US attack in 2001 were carried out by terrorists causing harm and fear in those nations. Basically the crime targets a grouping of interest. Types of Genocides Genocides can be separated in five different types based on the intention of the perpetrator, and what drives them. According to Alvarez, the distinguished kinds are cultural, retributive, latent, optional, and utilitarian genocides (2001, p. 40). They are discussed as follows; Cultural genocide. Genocide that deliberates on the destruction of the ethnic and cultural values, and heritage of a group. Each group has what uniquely identifies it from others, or what they hold valuable; the genocide is based on destroying these defining qualities and characteristics of the group (Alvarez, 2001, p. 40). Assimilation becomes the perpetrator’s intention and results in the traditions, values, cultures and heritage of the targeted group being oppressed. Retributive genocide. According to Wallimann, Dobkowski and Rubenstein, it is “designed to punish a segment of a minority which challenges a dominant group” (1987, p. 9). It may be carried out as a warning to the other opposition minorities to keep them quiet and repress their stubbornness. The minority group could have power to change the trend of intended events; hence they are viewed as a threat by the majority group. The oppressed group later seeks revenge and freedom, by engaging in genocide wars against the dominant group, or those who humiliated. Latent genocide. It simply refers to the unintended or unexpected destruction of a group in the society, as a result of war (Alvarez, 2001, p. 40). People may die due to spread of diseases or lack of resources to meet their needs, as consequences of the invasion activities. As the perpetrator carries out his mission or intention, more lives are destroyed indirectly or directly. An example is a bomb raid, which kills numerous civilians instantly or afterwards after failing to heal. Optimal genocide. It is aimed at total obliterations and considered wide in scope, due to its indiscriminate application in targeted group. According to Alvarez, “it encompasses those genocides perpetrated as part of a systemic and definitive attempt to eradicate all the group’s members” besides intent on total destruction (2001, p. 40). Just like retributive genocide the target group is viewed as a challenge and threat by the dominant group, who has the power to destroy the victim completely as the ultimate resort. Utilitarian genocide. It is driven by desires for power, wealth, or social ranks, associated with political or economical gains. The perpetrators seek to monopolize the access to resources through exploiting, enslaving or destroying those who refuse to agree with their terms. It was more common in pre-colonial and colonial periods through Europeans, who committed the crime against the natives from Africa and America among others. An example of this was the Herero genocide steered by the Germans during their settlement in South West Africa. Reference List  Alvarez, A. (2001). Governments, Citizens, and Genocide: A Comparative and Interdisciplinary Approach. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. Famine. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.enotes.com/famine-reference/famine Rummel, R.J. (2002, November 23). Genocide. Retrieved from http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/GENOCIDE.ENCY.HTM Stanton, G. H. (2002) What is Genocide? Retrieved from http://www.genocidewatch.org/genocide/whatisit.html Wallimann, I., Dobkowski, M. N., & Rubenstein, R. L. (Eds.). (1987). Genocide and the Modern Age: Etiology and Case Studies of Mass Death. New York: Greenwoood University Press. Read More