Prisoners of war must be treated humanely and are bound to give only information
about their identity. No physical or mental torture of prisoners of war is permitted.
Do not take hostages.
Abstain from all acts of vengeance.
Respect all persons and objects bearing the emblem of the Red Cross, the Red
Crescent, the white flag of truce or emblems designating cultural property.
Respect other people’s property. Looting is prohibited.
Endeavour to prevent any breach of the above rules. Report any violation to your superior. Any breach of the laws of war is punishable.”
Questions
01. Why do you think that in armed conflict the right of belligerents to adopt means
of injuring the enemy is not unlimited? If you are fighting an enemy, why should
you not be able to adopt any means you choose to injure him/her?
02. Consider and discuss some of the moral dilemmas facing a police official who is
performing duty in a country that has been occupied by an enemy occupying power.
03. In what ways could a code of conduct setting out rules of behaviour during civil
disorder assist the police?
04. Which non-derogable rights are most likely to be violated during armed conflict
or serious civil disorder? Why are these human rights violated in such circumstances?
05. Why should the human rights of people who have committed acts of terrorism,
or who are suspected of committing acts of terrorism, be respected?
06. In what ways can the police assist people in exercising their right to peaceful
assembly?
07. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the following when dealing
with civil disorder: tear gas; baton rounds or “rubber bullets”; water cannon?
08. If a senior police officer commanding the policing operation at the scene of a
serious riot orders a baton charge against a crowd of people, how can he/she
remain in command and control of the situation to ensure that police officers do
not use excessive force when following his/her orders?
09. There are advantages in having specially trained police units whose only function is to deal with civil disorder. There are also disadvantages – what are they
and how can they be overcome?
10. Can the misuse of weapons intended to be non-lethal (such as tear gas and rubber
bullets) cause fatalities and serious injuries? How? How can this be prevented?
Exercise
Policing during civil disorder, states of emergency and armed conflict
1. The armed conflict in Exland is far from over. In spite of the peace agreements
and the presence of UNSAME, sporadic armed conflict continues in some northern areas of the country. The state of emergency remains in effect throughout the
entire territory of Exland, and several incidents of civil disorder have occurred in
the western town of New Geneva. The rest of the country is largely peaceful.
2. In an effort to restore order and to put down the armed uprising of Highlandian
splinter groups opposed to the peace accords, the Government has adopted several exceptional measures.
119
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents