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MANILA, Philippines – How should soldiers behave in a conflict situation in order to comply with international humanitarian law?
A continuing campaign by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) tells them exactly what to do.
On the occasion of International Humanitarian Law Day, an educational poster depicting the appropriate behavior soldiers should adopt was presented to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The poster, created by the ICRC and the AFP Human Rights Office human rights office, was unveiled at the flag-raising ceremony at the AFP general headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo on Monday, August 13.
About 2,500 copies of the poster will be distributed within the the army, navy and air force.
Clear instructions
The poster uses photographs and texts to show how soldiers should treat civilians, the wounded and the sick, as well as the people they capture.
Under Treatment of Civilians, members of the AFP should:
- Protect civilians caught in armed conflict
- Respect them
- Respect their property
- Allow civilians access to humanitarian aid
The rules for Treatment of Detained Enemies are as follows:
- Disarm them
- Treat them humanely
- Inform their families of their capture
- Allow the ICRC to visit them
Finally, Treatment of Wounded and Sick notes soldiers must:
- Collect them
- Give them medical care
- Bring them to the nearest medical facility
- Respect the Red Cross medical mission
Remind soldiers of humanitarian law
“This initiative will serve to constantly remind soldiers of the basic rules of international humanitarian law – to respect civilians and detainees, and to care for the wounded and the sick,” ICRC legal adviser Evecar Cruz-Ferrer said in a statement.
The Geneva-based humanitarian institution added that the distribution of the sign is “part of a continuing effort to spread knowledge among military personnel of this body of law, which imposes limits, for humanitarian reasons, on the ways war may be waged.”
International humanitarian law is enshrined in the Geneva Conventions, signed on August 12, 1949.
The ICRC is a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization that assists and protects victims of armed conflict, according to its mandate. – Rappler.com
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