“We are in the presence of a crime without a name.”

Winston Churchill, 1941

GenocideGenocide

genogeno meaning race

cide cide meaning

killingThe word genocide genocide was coined in the midst of the Holocaust.

The 1948 U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the

Crime of Genocide defined genocide as….

Acts committed with intent to destroy, Acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, in whole or in part,

a national, ethnic, racial, or a national, ethnic, racial, or religious groupreligious group

20th Century Genocides

With the definition of genocide in mind,

try to list as many 20th century genocides as you can.

Major genocides of the 20th century• The Herero Genocide, Namibia,

1904-05Death toll: 60,000 (3/4 of the population)

• The Armenian Genocide, Ottoman The Armenian Genocide, Ottoman EmpireEmpire, 1915-23 , 1915-23 Death toll: Up to 1.5 million Death toll: Up to 1.5 million

• The Ukrainian Famine, 1932-1933Death toll: 7 million

• The Nanking Massacre, 1937-1938Death toll: 300,000 (50% of the pop)

• The World War II Holocaust, Europe, 1942-45 Death toll: 6 million Jews, and millions of others, including Poles, Roma, homosexuals, and the physically and mentally handicapped,

• The Cambodian GenocideThe Cambodian Genocide, 1975-79 , 1975-79 Death toll: 2 million Death toll: 2 million

• The East Timor Genocide, 1975- 1999 Death toll: 120,000 (20% of the population)

• The Mayan Genocide, Guatemala, 1981-83 Death toll: Tens of thousands

• Iraq, 1988Death toll: 50-100,000

• The Bosnian Genocide, 1991-1995 Death toll: 8,000

• The Rwandan Genocide, The Rwandan Genocide, 1994 1994 Death toll: 800,000 Death toll: 800,000

• The Darfur Genocide, Sudan The Darfur Genocide, Sudan , , 2003-present 2003-present Death toll: debated. 100,000? Death toll: debated. 100,000? 300,000? 500,000?300,000? 500,000?

Armenian GenocideArmenian Genocide

• Armenians were a Christian minority in Armenians were a Christian minority in the largely Muslim Ottoman Empire.the largely Muslim Ottoman Empire.

Armenian GenocideArmenian Genocide• 1915 – Ottoman Turks accuse the 1915 – Ottoman Turks accuse the

Armenians of planning a revolt to Armenians of planning a revolt to destroy the empire, so they began destroy the empire, so they began ridding the empire of the “problem.”ridding the empire of the “problem.”– Armenians were given 3 days to get all Armenians were given 3 days to get all

their belongings and leave.their belongings and leave.– To avoid resistance, all Armenian men To avoid resistance, all Armenian men

were shot.were shot.

Armenian GenocideArmenian Genocide• Women and Women and

children were children were taken to non-taken to non-existent existent “relocation” “relocation” centers in the centers in the Syrian desert.Syrian desert.

US ResponseUS Response::

Wilson called it “sad, but justified to quell national security.”

Other nations were too busy with WWI to do anything.

It’s a sticky situation today, It’s a sticky situation today, because government of Turkey because government of Turkey

won’t admit anything happened.won’t admit anything happened.

Turkey is currently applying Turkey is currently applying to admission to the European to admission to the European

Union, but many refuse to Union, but many refuse to accept their application until accept their application until

they apologize for they apologize for exterminating the Armenians.exterminating the Armenians.

CambodiaCambodia

Auto-Genocide:Auto-Genocide:The government was killing people The government was killing people

of its own cultural group.of its own cultural group.'To spare you is no profit, to destroy you is no loss.'

Cambodian Genocide

• 1976 – After a brutal 1976 – After a brutal Civil War, Khmer Civil War, Khmer Rouge, Cambodian Rouge, Cambodian Communist party, Communist party, took over under the took over under the direction of direction of Communist Dictator Communist Dictator Pol Pot.Pol Pot.

CambodiaCambodia• Pol Pot’s Vision:Pol Pot’s Vision:

– He wanted a completely classless He wanted a completely classless society, with no private property, no society, with no private property, no money, where all goods were bartered or money, where all goods were bartered or exchanged.exchanged.

– Entirely self sufficient countryEntirely self sufficient country– The Transition: He destroyed all banks, The Transition: He destroyed all banks,

telpehones, postal services, media, and telpehones, postal services, media, and hospitals.hospitals.

– Banned medicinesBanned medicines– Burned clothes Burned clothes

CambodiaCambodia• Who was targeted?Who was targeted?

– Anyone considered Anyone considered “non-valuable” or “non-valuable” or anyone resisting anyone resisting the government.the government.

– ElderlyElderly– IntellectualsIntellectuals– Glasses wearersGlasses wearers

CambodiaCambodia• The End – Pol Pot’s The End – Pol Pot’s

government was government was overthrown when overthrown when Vietnam invaded.Vietnam invaded.

• International International Response: Who Response: Who knew?knew?

RwandaRwanda

Hutus vs. TutsisHutus vs. Tutsis

RwandaRwanda• Hutus – 84% of the population, farmersHutus – 84% of the population, farmers• Tutsis – 15 % of the population, herdersTutsis – 15 % of the population, herders• Belgian imperialismBelgian imperialism

– When Belgium took over the area, they When Belgium took over the area, they exacerbated the problem by openly exacerbated the problem by openly favoring the Tutsis.favoring the Tutsis.

– After WWII, Belgium withdrew, but now After WWII, Belgium withdrew, but now they had created 2 distinct parties and one they had created 2 distinct parties and one of them had a grudge against the other.of them had a grudge against the other.

RwandaRwanda• 1994- Plane crash, Hutu president 1994- Plane crash, Hutu president

killed. Hutus took the opportunity to killed. Hutus took the opportunity to blame the Tutsis.blame the Tutsis.

• UN completely abandoned the countryUN completely abandoned the country• Interhamwe massacred thousands.Interhamwe massacred thousands.• Largest massacres were places where Largest massacres were places where

Tutsis gathered for security (churches, Tutsis gathered for security (churches, abandoned UN posts, schools)abandoned UN posts, schools)

RwandaRwanda

• Role of the Radio & US Role of the Radio & US response.response.

• Refusal to characterize Refusal to characterize the situation as genocide.the situation as genocide.

WHY NO RESPONSE?WHY NO RESPONSE?

The Region of Darfur within the The Region of Darfur within the SudanSudan

• Roughly the size of Roughly the size of FranceFrance

• Mostly MuslimMostly Muslim• Region is dominated Region is dominated

by 2 groupsby 2 groups– Arab (nomadic Arab (nomadic

herders) & African herders) & African (pastoral (pastoral agriculturalists)agriculturalists)

• Always been tension Always been tension over water and land over water and land grazing rights.grazing rights.

The Crisis in DarfurThe Crisis in Darfur• 6 million Darfurians6 million Darfurians• 450,000 dead 450,000 dead

(violence, famine (violence, famine disease) since 2003disease) since 2003

• 2.5 million displaced 2.5 million displaced refugees and refugees and internationally internationally displaced personsdisplaced persons– 150,000-300,000 in 150,000-300,000 in

ChadChad

Put into perspectivePut into perspective…

Population Population of St. of St. Louis:Louis:

352,572352,572

People who People who have died in have died in

Darfur Darfur conflict: conflict: 450,000450,000

Imagine the city of St. Louis being wiped out Imagine the city of St. Louis being wiped out and no one saying anything and no one saying anything

Made of traditional Made of traditional “Black Africans,” “Black Africans,”

agricultural farmers agricultural farmers who have been in who have been in the area from the the area from the

Stone AgeStone Age

Made of Arabs who Made of Arabs who moved into the area moved into the area

around the 9around the 9thth Century ADCentury AD

What are they fighting about?What are they fighting about?• 2003, Darfur groups attacked the central 2003, Darfur groups attacked the central

government.government.• Government’s response was to engage Government’s response was to engage

in all out warfare on the Darfurians.in all out warfare on the Darfurians.

Majority of victims are Majority of victims are African civilians.African civilians.

The government has The government has blocked journalists and blocked journalists and independent monitors.independent monitors.

What has the UN done?What has the UN done?• It has recommended that some be tried for It has recommended that some be tried for

war crimes.war crimes.• Sept. 2006 – UN resolution authorizing the Sept. 2006 – UN resolution authorizing the

deployment of 17,000 peacekeepers to deployment of 17,000 peacekeepers to protect the area, but only with the consent of protect the area, but only with the consent of the Sudanese gvt.the Sudanese gvt.– Sudanese gvt’s response is that they Sudanese gvt’s response is that they

believe US and UK have colonizing motives believe US and UK have colonizing motives and won’t admit the UN troops. and won’t admit the UN troops.

– Sudanese claim the UN forces will turn the Sudanese claim the UN forces will turn the Sudan into “another Iraq.” Sudan into “another Iraq.”

““Kaltoma Ahmed, 16, described watching her six-year-old Kaltoma Ahmed, 16, described watching her six-year-old brother Adam die. ‘They tied the children's hands and feet,’ brother Adam die. ‘They tied the children's hands and feet,’ she said. ‘They put them in the house, and burned it to the she said. ‘They put them in the house, and burned it to the ground.’” ground.’”

“Kaltoma Idris, 23, was inside her hut when the janjaweed “Kaltoma Idris, 23, was inside her hut when the janjaweed arrived. Outside, her sister was boiling water on a small arrived. Outside, her sister was boiling water on a small fire, her recently born twins next to her. ‘The janjaweed fire, her recently born twins next to her. ‘The janjaweed came and took the water and poured it over the babies,’ came and took the water and poured it over the babies,’ recalled Idris, who stayed in the hut and kept silent. ‘They recalled Idris, who stayed in the hut and kept silent. ‘They tied my sister up.’ tied my sister up.’ Idris fled out the back. As she ran for cover, she said she Idris fled out the back. As she ran for cover, she said she saw children being thrown into flaming huts. Two hours saw children being thrown into flaming huts. Two hours later, she returned to find her sister still tied up.” later, she returned to find her sister still tied up.”

“‘The babies were dead inside the pot,’ said Idris. She “‘The babies were dead inside the pot,’ said Idris. She untied her sister. They took her babies and buried them untied her sister. They took her babies and buried them near the hut. Her sister later told her she was whipped and near the hut. Her sister later told her she was whipped and gang raped twice. Other villagers described returning and gang raped twice. Other villagers described returning and seeing charred bodies inside huts and strewn on the sandy seeing charred bodies inside huts and strewn on the sandy dirt.” dirt.”

Darfur Awareness CampaignDarfur Awareness Campaign

• Kicks off the week we get back from Kicks off the week we get back from Spring BreakSpring Break

• Help raise awareness and money for Help raise awareness and money for the Crisis in Darfur.the Crisis in Darfur.–To contribute, go to To contribute, go to

www.teachersclass.net/kingsclass www.teachersclass.net/kingsclass and click on “Dollars for Darfur.”and click on “Dollars for Darfur.”

What about the Darfur crisis makes it a genocide?Why doesn’t the international community act?

What role does China play in the inaction?