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Why Do People Be Responsible For War Crimes

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Should People Be Responsible for Acts They Commit During War Time? A war crime is defined as “any grave breach of the Geneva Convention”, but many people who commit war crimes believe they should not be held responsible for their actions. Members of the Khmer Rouge, an extremist Cambodian political party, believe they should not be held responsible for the killing of 1.7 million Cambodians during the Cambodian Genocide. Each member gives different reasons, as seen in the article “I Will Not Take Responsibility - Ta An”, by Titthara; the interview “In An Interview, Pol Pot Declares His Conscience Is Clear”, by Mydans; the documentary “New Year Baby”, by Poeuv; and the documentary “Cambodia: Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge”, by O’Sullivan. The answer is complicated as to who is at fault. Though all people should be morally responsible for the atrocious acts they commit during war time, only high-ranking officials should be responsible legally. …show more content…
Son Seoum, a former Khmer Rouge cadre, explains in a documentary titled "New Year Baby", "What could I do? I was lead by Angkar" (Poeuv). Seoum had no choice but to follow the orders given to him. Though anyone could rise up against the Angkar, it would make no difference to do so. In a documentary titled "Cambodia: Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge", a Khmer Rouge guard known as Him Yum explains, "I was forced to follow orders because Angkar always said that those who could not follow the will of history would be dead" (O’Sullivan). If Yum refused to follow the orders given to him by the Angkar, he would be killed and replaced with someone who would. Due to this, it is unfair to punish low-ranking officials such as Seoum and Yum. Though they both realize the atrocity of the acts they committed, they had no power to stop them from

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