Topic: Status of Defense Contractors and Non-National Combatants
Country: Thailand
Delegate Name: Lora Jackson
School: Williamston High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Thailand position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
As the country of Thailand, we believe that contractors and non-national combatants are entitled to have their own individual rights. People are having their rights violated on a daily basis. People who are going into countries as missionaries and people not even part of the military are being captured and being treated horribly.
The Geneva Convention established international laws for the individual rights of prisoners of war in1949. These rules are to be followed by every country on how to treat a prisoner of war. The problem is, people being captured as missionaries or volunteers going into countries to help out, not in the military, are being captured and not treated appropriately. This is because countries know that they don’t have to follow the laws made at the Geneva Convention because contractors are not technically prisoners of war. Because of this, countries feel they can treat these missionaries and volunteers horrible, worse than any individual should ever be treated.
As the country of Thailand, we need to do something about this. Laws need to be enacted aiming right towards these individuals who are having their rights violated each and every day. These kinds of inappropriate actions need to be stopped right no before things get way out of hand. There needs to be a set and established law for defense contractors and non-national combatants so that they are treated with respect and receive the human rights given to them at their birth.
