Genocide

Definition: The deliberate killing of large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that group with the aim of destroying that nation or group

Human Rights Violations

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was established in response to the atrocities during World War II, including the Holocaust. The document outlines the human rights that all people are entitled to such as:

• Freedom from torture

• Freedom of expression

• Right to seek asylum

Darfur Genocide

The Darfur Genocide is the systematic killing of ethnic Darfuri people which has occurred during the ongoing conflict in Western Sudan. It has become known as the first genocide of the 21st century. The genocide, which is being carried out by the Sudanese Arab controlled government against Darfuri ethnic groups in Western Sudan, has led humanity rape, forced transfer, and torture. According to the latest UN figures between 100 and 400 thousand people have been killed, millions others have been raped, torture, and displaced.

Causes:

Battle between the government and Darfuri people over:

• Natural resources

• Land

• Rights and freedoms

• Say

• Beliefs and ideologies

When and Where?

• 2004 - Present Day

• Sudan - Country in Central Africa

• Western Sudan - Darfuri Region

Who?

• Sudanese Arab controlled government

• Janjaweed - militia group funded by the Sudanese government

• Omar-Al Bashir - accused of Human Rights Violations against Darfuri people

• Rebel Sudanese Liberation Army

Rwandan Genocide

The Rwandan genocide occurred between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War.[2] During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu were killed by armed Hutu militias. The most widely accepted scholarly estimates are around 500,000 to 662,000 Tutsi deaths.

Causes:

• Hutus were the majority and the Tutsis were the minority

• A Hutu uprising in 1959 resulted in a civil war that ended Tutsi domination

A 100-Day spree of brutal violence immediately ensued, perpetrated mainly by Hutus against Tutsis and moderate Hutus

Who?

• Rwandans

• Hutus - Majority

• Tutsis - Minority

When and Where?

• Rwanda - country in Central Africa

• Conflict since 1950’s

• Genocide took place in 1994

Effects

• 800,000 Tutsis killed

• 2 million refugees (fled Rwanda)

• 1 million people displaced within country

Serbia-Bosnian Genocide

In the aftermath of World War II, the Balkan states of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia became part of the country Yugoslavia. After the death of Yugoslavian leader Josip Tito in 1980, growing nationalism among the different Yugoslavian republics threatened to split their union apart

Causes:

• Many ethnic groups lived in Yugoslavia

• Communism fell in early 1990’s

• Yugoslavia broke up into several independent states

• Bosnia attempted to secede

• Serbia was invaded

• Serbia was led by Slobodan Milosevic

• Serbia began to eliminate Bosnian territory of Bosnian Muslims

Who?

• Many different countries in Southeastern Europe

• Europe - The Balkans

• Yugoslavians

• Bosnians

• Serbians

• Croatians

• Slovenians

When and Where?

• 1992-1995

• Southeastern Europe

• Balkans

• Powder Keg Region

Effects

• Serbian Massacre

• 8000 Bosnian Muslims

• UN tried to broker peace deal and they failed

• NATO got involved in 1995

• 2001 - Milosevic captured and jailed

Cambodian Genocide

Lasting for four years, the Cambodian genocide was an explosion of mass violence that saw between 1.5 and 3 million people killed at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, a communist political group. The Khmer Rouge had taken power in the country following the Cambodian Civil War. During their brutal four-year rule, the Khmer Rouge was responsible for the deaths of nearly a quarter of Cambodians. They sought to re-educate the Cambodians into their line of thought.

Who?

• Cambodians

• Khmer Rouge - Communist group that took over Cambodia

• Pol Pot - Leader of Khmer Rouge

When and Where?

• 1975-1979

• Cambodia - Southeast Asia

• East of Vietnam

Effects

• 2 million deaths

• Execution, starvation, disease, forced labor, torture

• Vietnam invaded in 1979 and ousted Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge from power

Armenian Genocide

Sometimes called the first Genocide of the 20th century, the Armenian genocide refers to the physical annihilation of Armenian Christian people living in the Ottoman Empire from spring 1915 through autumn 1916. There were approximately 1.5 million Armenians living in the multiethnic Ottoman Empire in 1915. At least 644,000 and possibly as many as 1.2 million died during the genocide, either in massacres and individual killings or from systematic ill treatment, exposure, and starvation.

Who?

• Ottoman Empire - Muslim Empire

• Armenian Christians - the people who were persecuted by Ottomans

• Young Turks - revolutionary group that participated in the genocide

When and Where?

• 1915-1916 (During World War I)

• Ottoman Empire

Effects

• 640,000-1.2 million deaths

• Millions displaced