Acknowledging atrocities can be immensely helpful. According to multiple sources including BBC and CNN, atrocities are acknowledged many times. Different countries including Germany and Japan and Rwanda acknowledged their atrocities or war crimes committed in wars or civil wars. France acknowledged its atrocities this month committed by its forces against the people of Cameroon during and after their struggle for independence from 1945 to 1971. Acknowledging atrocities helps reduce enmity and improve relations between different countries especially countries having enmity or past rivalries. But it remains unclear whether and how much atrocities including mass murders or extermination — committed by any of the parties — during wars or civil wars can always be acknowledged, though it is desirable and helpful.
Wars and civil wars are not surprising at all. These often occur between and within different countries due to various reasons including a desire for territorial expansion and, sometimes, have justified reasons. For instance, independence wars are often rendered to have justified reasons. But atrocities also often occur in wars and civil wars by one of the parties. There are political, resistance-based and other reasons that put hindrances to the acknowledgment of atrocities committed during conflicts. Political and strategic considerations such as the possibility of undermining reputations and the justification of the war, the nourishment of enmity for a long and legal and institutional obstacles such as amnesty laws are some of the crucial reasons that hinder such acknowledgements. The perceived loss of reputation leads to a defense of the group’s or party’s actions many times, even when those actions are reprehensible.
Credit: https://edition.cnn.com/.
The differing interpretation of wars and a lack of political will are also vital causes that hinder the acknowledgement of atrocities, a rare acknowledgement, including mass atrocities — which have profound and long-lasting effects for individuals and entire societies — by the political authority. A lack of political will plays a crucial role many times because of several reasons including the enmity between the countries or parties and possible criticism or resistance from others within the party or the country. Social and psychological factors of the leaders such as fear, denial and self-preservation hinder such acknowledgements many times. The fear of being stereotyped by others make the political authority hesitant to acknowledge atrocities.
But while atrocities during wars cause deaths and bring many other negative outcomes, acknowledging atrocities brings positive outcomes for different countries including the countries that committed them. Acknowledging mass atrocities fosters reconciliation and improves relations, promotes historical truth in wars, strengthens international norms against violence and reflects a sort of accountability. Notably, acknowledging atrocities or war crimes by several countries including Japan and Germany during wars in the past helped normalize diplomatic relations with different countries and improve international standing, though significant societal and historical tensions often persist. This also promotes a culture of human rights and dignity and works as a healing for the psychological trauma of affected people, eventually fostering people-to-people relations too between the countries.
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But given the positive outcomes for all parties including the party that commits or has committed atrocities, acknowledging these is desirable and needs to be employed as much as possible. It is probably more difficult and less likely for any party to acknowledge atrocities amidst ongoing wars or civil war due to the very war and several other reasons, compared to the past wars. Pertinently saying, atrocities have been acknowledged long after the war and civil war on most occasions. Yet acknowledging atrocities may help — even if it involves past atrocities.
The political authority sometimes remains in a position to acknowledge atrocities committed during wars. But sometimes the political authority is probably unable to do so mainly due to the resistance from different parties within the nation and the ruling party, even if it is willing. For this, addressing the reasons especially criticism or resistance may help many times, but the intention of the government is vital as it may help overcome barriers and acknowledge atrocities.
