Killing innocent civilians is worst war crimes

Islamabad : In a protest held outside National Press Club last week in which civil society organisations and students tried to attract the attention of decision-makers towards the inhuman killing of as many as 39 people in Afghan by Australian elite soldiers.

They held up placards condemning these killings. They told the world that to kill non-combatant people is the worst of war crimes. “The Australian forces completely violated the Geneva Convention due to which they should be penalized under international war laws,” they demanded adding that the Australian army should be removed from the NATO alliance.

Footage of the killings by Australian forces have refreshed memories of Abu Ghraib jail that the allied forces had turned into a torture cell. Though media started reporting about the abuse of prisoners in Afghanistan in early 2000, Australian army itself has confessed to these crimes after completing its own inquiry into the matter.

Maj Gen Justice Paul Brereton, Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force has compiled the Afghanistan Inquiry Report brimming with shocking revelations. It has found that prisoners were executed to ‘blood’ junior soldiers and unlawful killings were deliberately covered up.

The report has found that Australian Special Forces were allegedly involved in the murder of 39 Afghan civilians, in some cases executing prisoners to “blood” junior soldiers before inventing cover stories and planting weapons on corpses. Police will not further inquire the matter. The Australian army chief has tendered an apology and asked his Afghan counterpart and people to look forward to continue cooperation between the two nations. The Australian prime minister has also apologised. The protestors in Islamabad have, however, demanded that the perpetrator be brought to justice and high-ups including the army chief and the prime minister should step down. They have demanded that $1 million compensation for each of the 39 victim families. They have also demanded that the victim families be given opportunity to study in Australia. “The United Nation should pass a resolution against brutal act of the Australia and all other international human rights organisations should raise voice respectively against the killing,” they suggested.