Mindanao State University

CRITICAL COMMENTARY

In partial fulfilment
of the requirement for the subject
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

Submitted by:
ABDUL NASSER, SANIAH B.

Submitted to:
Prof. Adzlina Aminnajar

Oct 24, 2023

 The seminar/symposium primarily discussed the International Humanitarian Law. The main
purpose of this particular event is to let the students know the concept, principle and most
especially the significance of global citizenship. IHL also known as the law of war or the law of
armed conflict is a set of rules which seek for humanitarian reasons and to limit the effects of
armed conflict.
International humanitarian law covers the following namely; 1. The relevance to global
citizenship. 2.global citizenship through civil society. 3.the rights of the civilians and 4. The
prohibited method of warfare. International humanitarian law is relevance to global citizenship
because it promotes compliance and accountability, prevent atrocities and global advocacy
networks. Global citizenships play a vital role in this because they are the main subject. This also
discusses the rights of civilians such as: civilians have the right to be respected, to treat them as
human and most of all taking them as hostage is prohibited since they are not part of the conflict.
And most especially is to respect their belongingness, their property and so on. As stated on the
article 159, 3 annexes. Another main point of this event is to discuss what are the prohibited
method that combatant or armed forces needs to avoid. This includes the employment of poisons,
the use of bullets that explode within the human body the use of nuclear weapons, biological
weapons, chemical weapons. Aside from the weapons that they should avoid to use, armed force
also forbidden to do the following: 1. when the enemy laid their hands you are forbidden to take
them down. This is because the enemy says that they surrender using this kind of signal. And
most especially you are forbidden to use human/ civilians as your shield during the war. Because
they are out of your thing. There are so many things that are forbidden during this kind of
incident that every combatant should know including those they are forbidden to shot their
enemy whenever they have some rescued. Combatant are also forbidden to shot the shelters even
if the enemy is in their or even the cross sign whenever there is a sign that they may encounter
because it can affect citizens. Because the only legitimate object during war is to weaken the
military forces of the enemy not to kill the people Humanitarian law is about the rights of every
human that they have. It is about the responsibilities that every armed forces have to borne on
their shoulders. The basic responsibilities that they should be aware of with is those how they
protect every individual who are not participating on an armed conflict. As the main purpose of
this is the prevention of hurting citizens by the combatant during warfare. Thus this event mainly
aims to discuss the points, the rights that we have as a citizen since conflict is not new to us
considering what we’ve been through during the Marawi siege. aside from that this is to send
awareness to the state to teach their armed force by the obligation that they must aware of with.
One example of this event that armed forces did not apply the basic netiquettes that are cited
on below is the Marawi siege. Where those particularly the Maute group kill individual who are
not part of the conflict. Instead of protecting those citizens who are innocent they just kill it just
because of the basic instruction that they can not fulfill.
We have four Geneva convention as part of international humanitarian law. The convention
also developed by the two further agreements namely: the additional protocols of 1977 and
protocols in 200. All these legal documents highlight the fact that even wars have limits. The
four Geneva convention are those, Geneva convention for the ammeloration of the condition of
the wounded and sick is armed forces in the field. Second Geneva convention relative to the
treatment of prisoners of war and Geneva convention relative to the protection of civilians in
time of war.
 In my own perspective, there should be a time/instances where you have to shot those enemy
who are with civilians. It is when you do not have choice but to shot them also because of the
various reasons. 1. Enemy might have shot you even if they are with a civilian. 2. Civilians
might also have shot you because they consider you as their enemy. In my stand, combatant
might have to choose between their own life or the civilians life. Another one if I were a
combatant in my own point of view there is no need to protect the property of the, the places or
even the things owned by the civilians if I have no choice but to save my life as we’re talking
about a war not a game. Another one, protection is limited only for civilians and in my own
stand it does not need to protect their belonging or their emblem it times of war. One of the best
example that suits here is the war happen on May 2017 which armed forced shots civilian, their
belonging and everything. Even the mosque, schools and everything. The protection of the
property does not apply in short. Another stands that I have is that there should be a time where
you can take someone as a hostage. This is only limited when you do not have choice but to
threaten your enemy since we’re talking about your life. Next, in my own stands even if enemy
laid their hands there is still a time where I do not consider it as they surrender. Why? Because
there’s still a time where they could betray you and kill you at the end. Last, you there should be
a time where the use of bullets that explode on human body where needed. Why? Because when
you’re in a war consider this two thing you kill or you die. Now if you shot your enemy there is
always a time where they can die because of the various reasons so why not use bullets that
explode to human body when you have no choice.