Unspeakable War Horrors

Unspeakable War Horrors

INTRODUCTION
War blows no man any good. Like some people will say: war is young people dying and old people talking. There are rules set down, globally,
for conventional warfare. But it is on record that in actual warfare rules have been thrown to the winds. People have been made to go through inhuman conditions.
By the way, even when we are not at war, some of our institutions abuse human rights every day while the world looked the other way, saying nothing to bring such institutions/countries to justice. Some prisons and government institutions around the world are notorious for this.

The Ills of World Wars
The World War II has a lot of despicable moments - moments that have been spoken of in hushed tones and trepidation! Whenever you remember the WWII, you think about Hitler; you remember Himmler; you are reminded of the Nazi, and the Concentration Camps which, as reported, were a plot to wipe a particular people off the face of the earth, give you the jeebies. This article aims at narrating the horror of WWII and, certain contemporary issues that we live with today. Some of our prisons have become a modern-day concentration camp!
The allegation of the existence of Gas Chambers in Nazi Concentration Camps has been refuted severally and some have called it a wartime “tall story”. But do not forget that this could be compared to the legends of the Teutonic Barbarism. During the WWI, the Germans were accused of crimes that are so many to mention, but for reference purposes: there were accusations of severing the hands of Belgian kids, making soaps from dead bodies and so many more.
 Between you and I, the German concentration camps existed. In most of these camps, crematorium ovens were provided for in a bid to curtail a possible outbreak of epidemics. Actual burial has not been found to be any more offensive than incineration It is a normal way to live for some people. This may be repulsive to others but we all have equal rights. For instance, if you tell those who incinerate their dead that you bury yours they might find that offensive too. Such is life.
The first of Nazi camps were built in March 1933 after Hitler became Chancellor. These concentration camps served as camps for torture and holding of political opponents. The camps were reputed to hold about 45,000 prisoners then.
Heinrich Himmler, after Hitler became Chancellor, was in charge of the police and the concentration camps all over Germany. It was during this period that he expanded the role of these camps to include holding what the state termed ‘racially undesirable elements’. Himmler did this! Before this time the number of people the camp held has declined to an all-time low: 7,500, but this grew to 21,000 prisoners and then peaked at 715,000 in January 1945, during the war. There were camps for several purposes.
There were camps for Prisoners Of War (POW). There were Labor camps. And you have camps for hostages; state camps; early camps; collection and transit camps; camps for rehabilitation and re-education; the dreaded extermination camps. None of these offer you the kind of life a man who is free enjoys.

Modern Concentration Camps
Today, there is no gainsaying the fact, that some governments around the world are subtly encouraging torture in some government institutions especially their prisons. For example, it is said that torture is a daily occurrence in Cambodia. People are beaten black and blue daily. This was attested to by a former prisoner, Keo Chandara, during the sitting of a tribunal set up to look into the atrocities committed by Khmer Rouge who was said to have used acid and pliers on prisoners. Can you relate to that? Acid and pliers?
It is also documented that torture is not alien to the United States. Cases of torture have traced to government officials, Agencies, and what have you. Torture has been used, in most cases, as a short means of making people talk.
This obtains in most parts of the world. The thing is that it is usually your word against theirs.