There are no words to describe the anger and pain that overwhelms the hearts’ of Colombians caused by the cruel murder of 11 young soldiers in Arauquita committed by Farc. The assassinations violate International Humanitarian Law and War Law mandates because delinquents murdered with coup de grace soldiers that had already been ambushed and weakened while watching over energetic infrastructure.
Beyond the possible tactical error that the military unit could have committed, Farc’s cruelty is a deplorable act of violence. Since 1929 the international community has elaborated rules that demand respect for human dignity and integrity towards those that form part of the military forces during an armed conflict. Specifically when members of the military are weakened or wounded because they cannot continue performing soldier duties.
A series of rules control behavior during war: the Geneva Convention of 1929 with regard to the army’s sick and wounded; X Hague Convention of 1907, that adapts maritime war to the Geneva Convention principles and the Convention of 1929 related to the right treatment of war prisoners. All of these norms are applied during an internal armed conflict like the one that is taking place in Colombia.
If Farc and Eln are searching for national and international political recognition, they have to start obeying humanitarian rules, which include not kidnapping military or police men to use them as an instrument of political war or social blackmail. NGO’s that support narco guerrillas use the terms “war prisoners” to refer to those kidnapped by Farc Hopefully, these same NGO’s demand terrorists respect towards international rules about kidnapping and reject all types of violations to international humanitarian law committed by the perpetrators of such behavior.
From the moment a soldier is wounded or loses combat capability in any conflict, he immediately acquires the condition of protected person preset by international law. Therefore, the criminal conduct of narco terrorists is more serious when their actions are against this type of person because they are committing a war crime, which is defined as such by international Conferences and established in articles 49 to 52 of the I Convention, 50 to 53 of the II Convention, 129 to 131 of the III Convention and 146 to 149 of the IV Convention, all of which were ratified in the XVIII International Conference of the Red Cross.
The text written in 1929 only demanded respect and protection for the wounded. Article 12 now comprehends and lists prohibited actions against life, torture, willful neglect, etc. It also specifies what data is needed with regard to captured wounded, as well as duties related to dead people (Articles 16 and 17). In a new layout (Article 18) population and relief societies are guaranteed their right to assist wounded and sick people. These last two mandates are usually systematically violated by narco guerrillas, that without any sorrow dare to call themselves a political-military organization with capacity to negotiate peer to peer with the Colombian State.
In addition to Farc’s mockery with regard to Colombians desire for peace, they now condition the release of the ten military men if the government allows Piedad Córdoba to visit inexistent political prisoners. These prisoners are a political price that she continues to accumulate by manipulating victims and their families.
The liberation process was suspended until the State, Red Cross, Brazilian government and spokesmen of Farc approved security protocols. Nevertheless, Córdoba aberrantly and indiscriminately proposed, through Colombians for Peace and accompanied by Marleny Orjuela and Asfamipaz, visiting prisons to interview terrorists that are paying for their crimes. The liberation process was pending on exchanging delinquents already sentenced by Colombian justice.
Without doubt these facts show the true criminal and cruel nature of narco guerrillas and their supporters. Their goal is to reach some kind of political success disguised as dialogue, so that illegal armed organizations can have a new opportunity to continue their aggression towards Colombian society with more strength.
colombia says 