damned_bulletin | written in imperfect English letters

Geneva Conventions. Specifically, the Third Geneva Convention, Part III. I could likely quote all of it, but it generally states that all prisoners of war are to be treated humanely, not subjected to torture or humiliation, and all sentences must be "pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples".

Notably, non-signatories are not obliged to follow the GCIII.

Do you want the document in full, or is this enough?

Thank you. If you don't mind, I'd like any other information about it that you can remember. The idea of wars following rules is new to me, and I'm having trouble figuring out how it's supposed to work.

Also, you mentioned that not everyone has agreed to this 'GCIII'. How does this work out if they're involved in a war with a faction that does follow it?

A few of the more relevant points off the top of my head:

-All captured individuals, regardless of POW status, must be treated humanely.
-Only those in combat or combat support roles may be imprisoned.
-Prisoners cannot be kept in an environment injurious to their health.
-"Day and night" hygienic conditions of POW camps must be maintained.
-Medical inspections of every prisoner are to be held at least once a month.
-All POW camps must be under the oversight of a member of the Detaining Power's armed forces who is required to ensure that the convention's contents are known to everyone.
-Prisoners must not be subject to physical or mental torture nor any other form of coercion.
-Wearing of badges of nationality & rank is to be permitted.
-Use of weapons on POWs must always be preceded by a warning appropriate to the circumstances.
-Detaining powers have to grant all POWs advance salary at a fixed rate according to their rank.
-Prisoners should be allowed not more than one week after capture to write to family members and/or a certain international group that monitors the safety of POWs, and these correspondences are not to be detained in any way.
-Prisoners may send and receive at least two letters and four cards monthly. Censorship may be carried out on classified information.
-POWs have the right to know in whose power they are.
-POWs have the right to communication with those groups that are charged with their protection, independent of the Detaining Power.
-Prisoners may elect by secret ballot who among them shall represent them before any agency tasked with their welfare every six months.
-POWs may be subject to the laws of the Detaining Power, which should not by definition be in conflict with the GCIII and cannot be only applicable to POWs, but to the Detaining Power's own military forces as well.
-Punishment for an offense may not be given more than once.
-Consideration must be taken by the Detaining Power's judiciary that the accused POW may not know that they have broken the law.
-There are limits to punishment for infringement of the law, and "In no case shall disciplinary punishments be inhuman, brutal or dangerous to the health of prisoners of war." Confinement is allowed, but not in excess of thirty days, as is the limit for the duration of all punishments, no exceptions or caveats.
-Prisoners who have escaped may not be pursued if they have left territory under the authority of the Detaining Power.
-POWs may only be held for the duration of hostilities between the Detaining Power and the POW's own faction or nation.
-Deaths of POWs are to be properly documented, specifically including identity, and manner of death. Deceased may be cremated only for imperative reasons of hygiene after the body has been examined, but must be buried in single graves. Graves of the deceased must be cared for and suitably marked.
-Deaths brought about by another person or under unknown circumstances must be subject to an official enquiry by the Detaining Power, and all relevant documents, including witness statements, must be forwarded to a Protecting Power.

The most notable excuses for signatory powers not following the GCIII have been attempted designation of POWs under some other category, or simply hiding the internment site. Also, only the provisions to do with prisoner safety and trial are applicable to non-POWs.

The other option for a signatory power is always simply breaking the rules with some form of excuse, which will never be valid, but they will pretend that it is such. This might get responsible individuals called in front of the International Criminal Court, quite possibly decades after the fact.

[Recluse runs a country that bases much of its workings around breaking international law, for commerce or war, even though it has a seat on the UN. He does, in fact, know the rules that he is breaking, given the fact that unofficial war could be declared on his country by American heroes at any time, regardless of whether the Rogue Isles is a signatory of the GCIII (never specified). Also, the GCIII was signed in its initial form before he ever became a Villain, when he was stated as highly interested in politics, and had been a soldier in the conflict that brought about the GCIII in the first place.]

Thank you. That's a lot more specific than I thought it would be. Certainly more civilized than the way Cybertronian wars are handled, although you seem to have pointed out how difficult these GCIII rules are to enforce.

And there doesn't seem to be much reason not the break the rules, if the punishment is delayed so long. Your lives are so short; seems to me you may be able to just die before you're caught and punished, and get away with it that way.

I run a country. I have every reason to know what rules I should abide by.

I've heard of you Cybertronians, but only ever met a few Decepticons here. Are you one of them? Given your question about ethics in war, it seems doubtful, but worth asking.

It depends on the individual, and their abilities. My lifespan is potentially infinite. But yes, most of those infringing international law on human rights and war crimes are never prosecuted, and at least one of the few that the International Criminal Court has managed to prosecute died before they could be sentenced.

NO No, I'm not, actually. I'm an Autobot, and if you've spoken with the Decepticons here I can only imagine what you've heard about us. If anything. ~~Lugnut never seems to mute his vocalizer so~~

I see. They do seem like a good idea in theory, but I'd wondered about how practical they were. Not very, from the sounds of it.

Ah. I heard only a little before Lugnut decided to attack me. I sprained his wrist.

Agreed. The international body that is supposed to enforce it has no true forces of its own, so others generally have to do all the work, which can often make matters worse. Some are very insistent on attempting to enforce international law upon others who are already in a conflict with someone else.

Unsurprising. Lugnut's more of a bot of action than thought. Damage to the wrist isn't very severe, but all the same it's more than I'd be able to do. Congratulations on that, I guess.

That sounds like a real mess.

I noticed. He seems entirely unable to come to terms with the fact that human bodies can be rather fragile, including his own.

It is. International politics and conflict are not a discipline for the casual participant.

Well, with someone of that model type it's to be expected. I'm having a little trouble with the concept myself. Keep thinking I'm going to accidentally hurt one of you, though that's really not too likely now.

Consider me a casual participant, then. I never did care for that kind of thing.

written in imperfect English letters

In a practiced, spiky hand

Ratchet does not compute. :\

Slaggit, sorry for the unexpected delay

No worries.

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