A close look at the developments over a week or so, on the “special operation” or Ukraine war front may reveal that a sort of Retreat has begun. First, if I am not mistaken, was from Mariupol, then Kyiv, followed by Bucha and now Sumi.
Whether you call it butchery or genocide or brutality, inhuman massacre was perpetrated not for capturing but for terrorising, and devastating.
Human beings carried out the onslaught on the fellow human beings of once same nationality and ethnicity. Majority at the receiving end have been helpless senior citizens,women and children.
2) At last after taking up and failing to show a decisive and firm stand twice in a fortnight, the emergency session of UNGA has voted to SUSPEND Russia from the rights of its membership of the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) late on 7th April. Consequently , Russia will not be in a position to exercise its rights as a member to speak or vote.Thus the U.S.led Western coalition has succeeded in getting support of 93 member states
with 24 voting against and 58 abstentions.
India along with Pakistan, Bangladesh,Sri Lanka, Maldives,Nepal ,Bhutan and others, abstained even after condemning massacres in Ukraine and backing an independent Probe. Russia had sought support rather than an abstention from India ,thus indicating a more difficult phase for her in international diplomacy.
3) Regretably, it has happened after more than ten thousand dead and 1.5 lakh being stuck up in acute crisis for over a month during a “special operation” for 44 days.Video and audio evidence tells all.
Helpless individuals living in crammed up space, bereft of water, electricity, gas,essential food items, medicines ,one can imagine their plight. Even a humanitarian corridor was mostly ruled out .One can think about pathetic condition of ventilation and sanitation also under the freezing temperature.
Future Shock Waves
4) More shock waves concerning war crimes and interrogations can be expected unless Good sense prevails over the minds that matter.
It is not that people of suffering nationality living elsewhere or those earlier dependent on trade relations with the sufferers are unaffected. Infact more of insanity will lead to ripples being felt everywhere.Now that indiscriminate sacrilege has “slowed ” a bit and some habitations are visible, one can imagine what the scene would be when huge heap of debris finally gets cleared.
5) More signs of butchery, something akin to infamous Gas Chambers of World War II, are bound to surface.
U.N.Convention Against Torture( CAT)
6) The UNCAT signed by USA and 140 other countries long ago is clearly against all kinds of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Though torture according to the Convention is defined as the infliction of severe physical and mental suffering committed under the colour of law, under no circumstances it can be permitted. It is prohibited as such , under the customary International law. Parties to the convention are obligated to take effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent acts of torture,in any territory under their jurisdiction.
7) When one comes across torture of a Russian woman Spy(Sniper), alleged accused of having committed forty murders of Ukraineans by the people who have supposedly tortured her for extracting information or for that matter discovery of dead bodies in Bucha ,additional killing of 300 civilians or may be armymen in the same city ,the US Amendment to such a Manual adopted on 6th September, 2006 may assume significance.
WHAT IS PROHIBITED ?
8) Inter alia , it PROHIBITES following eight techniques in conjunction with intelligence interrogations :
a) Compelling a detainee to be naked, perform sexual acts or pose in a sexual manner,
b) Placing hoods or sacks over his/her head,
c) Applying electric shocks,burns or other forms of physical pain,
d) Water boarding,
e) Use of Military dogs against them,
f) Inducing Hypothermia or heat injury,
g) Conduct of mock executions and
h) Depriving the detainee of minimum food, water or medical care.
9) According to inputs culled out from Internet ,USA has been” leader” in application of CAT towards persons captured in Iraq and Afghanistan.(ostensively after burning their fingers, they have refrained from pushing their troops in conflict between Russia and Ukraine so far).
Why only they?
Neither they, nor Russia or Ukraine or Pakistan bother for standards prescribed under the 1949 Geneva Convention concerning the protection of civilians and Prisioners of Wars during an armed conflict.
10) While President George Bush Junior was somewhat brutal (video evidence of naked Iraqi men prisioners would be shown to tourists), the Barack Obama administration in 2009 issued an Executive order stating that all detainees held by USA during an armed conflict be treated more consistently with several domestic statutes and international agreements,
including CAT.
Interrogation Techniques of Other Nations
11) Coming to Non U.S .bodies,whether some interrogation techniques rise to the level of torture ,there are serious doubts about British interrogation techniques used in Northern Ireland, as confirmed by the European Commisision of Human Rights. These relate to weight loss and adverse effects to their acute psychiatric systems during an interrogation.
12) In the same way, the ECHR has termed interrogation techniques of the Israelis against the Palestinian security detainees as completely unacceptable , given Israel’s obligations under Articles 2 and 16 of the CAT.
Their techniques ,such as, use of loud music for prolonged periods, sleep deprivations, violent shaking, use of cold air to chill etc. are definitely more inhuman.
Signs of Change in Future ?
13) Even after witnessing harrowing videos of dead bodies shown by President Zelensky, whether the U.N.O will act more strongly against Russia , that remains to be seen. So far only country to lose its membership at the UNHRC was Libya ,when long time dictator Muammar Gadhafi(1969 -2011) lost power. 14) In all eventuality, torture and devastation by a tired Russian army may slow down but same may not end the PROXY WAR between the two Super powers.
About the Author : Dr. Aaloc Srivastav, Ex CS , Sikkim is a Senior Retd Bureaucrat and passionate about writing on his favourite subjects . The views shared by the author are his personal.
