Prisoner of war facts for kids
A prisoner of war (short form: POW) is a fighter who has been captured by the forces of the enemy, during an armed conflict. In past centuries, prisoners had no rights. They were usually killed or forced to be slaves. Nowadays prisoners of war have rights that are stated in the Geneva Conventions and other laws of war.
Contents
Rights
The Third Geneva Convention gives prisoners of war many different rights. Here are some examples:
- They must be treated decently, with respect
- They must be allowed to tell their families and the International Committee of the Red Cross that they are a POW
- They have the right to communicate with their families, and get packages
- They have the right to keep their clothing, eating utensils, and personal things
- They must be given adequate food, clothing, housing, and medical attention
- If their captors make them work, POWs must be paid for the work they do
- If they are going to be charged with a crime, they must be given a trial
If they are very sick or hurt, prisoners of war have the right to be let go. After a war ends, all POWs must be let go quickly.
Prisoners of war also have the right NOT to:
- Give their captors any information, except for their name, age, rank, and service number (a military identification number)
- Have their money or valuable things stolen
- Do forced labor, military work, or work that is dangerous, unhealthy, or degrading
Not every prisoner gets these rights
Not all people who are caught while fighting wars are "prisoners of war." The Third Geneva Convention has a strict definition of what a prisoner of war is. For example, it says that to be "prisoners of war," soldiers MUST:
- Wear uniforms or marks on their clothes to make it clear they are soldiers
- Have some sign (like a flag) that shows they are soldiers from a distance
- Carry their weapons out in the open, where they can be seen
- Follow the laws of war
According to the Geneva Conventions, if soldiers do not meet these requirements, they are not "prisoners of war." They are "unlawful combatants" (which means "people who fight in ways that are against the law). This means they do NOT have the rights that are listed in the Geneva Conventions.
This caused controversy in the early 21st century. For example, in June 2002, the United States was fighting the War in Afghanistan. The Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, announced that the people the U.S. had captured were "unlawful combatants [who] do not have any rights under the Geneva Convention[s]." The U.S. said these people were unlawful combatants, not prisoners of war, because:
- They did not wear clothing that made them look any different than regular civilians
- They did not organize themselves into groups with a chain of command
- They did not follow the laws of war (because they gave support to Al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization)
The U.S. brought some of these people to a prison in Guantánamo Bay. Because they were enemy combatants, the inmates at Guantánamo did not get the rights that the Geneva Conventions give to prisoners of war.
Photo gallery
Before the 20th century
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Engraving of Nubian POWs, done in Ancient Egypt between 1300 BC and 1201 BC
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Relief of a slave (at left) in Ancient Rome. The Roman Empire often made POWs into slaves
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Painting of Mongol riders with prisoners from the 14th century
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Spanish conquistadors invade the Aztec Empire in 1519. The Spanish murdered many Aztec POWs and made others into slaves
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American POWs from the Revolutionary War on a British prison ship
20th century
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Telegram sent to the family of an American POW captured by Nazi Germany during WWII
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In 1944, 76 Allied POWs escaped from a Nazi POW camp through a tunnel. The Nazis re-captured 73 of them and executed 50.
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North Vietnam releases some Vietnam War POWs (including John McCain) in 1973
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Iranian POWs, including child soldiers, captured during the Iran-Iraq War (1988)
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Video of U.S. Marines and Navy SEALs rescuing American POW Jessica Lynch during the War in Iraq (2003)
Images for kids
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Serbian Prisoners of war in Belgrade of the Austro-Hungarian forces during World War 1, 1915
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Russian and Japanese prisoners being interrogated by Chinese officials during the Boxer Rebellion.
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American prisoners of war in Germany in 1917.(11th Engineer Regiment)
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German soldiers captured by British in Flanders.
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German soldier of Infantry Regiment 120, POW 1 January 1918
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A memorial to German prisoners of war who died in 1914–1920
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Jewish USSR POW captured by German Army, August 1941. At least 50,000 Jewish soldiers were executed after selection.
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Representation of a "Forty-and-eight" boxcar used to transport American POWs in Germany during World War II.
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German POW at Stalingrad
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German prisoners of war being paraded through Moscow
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Remagen open-field Rheinwiesenlager
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US Army: Card of capture for German POWs – front
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Reverse of US Army Card of capture
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Certificate of Discharge of a German General (Front- and Backside)
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A group of Japanese soldiers captured during the Battle of Okinawa.
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Waiting interrogation, 199th LT INF BG by James Pollock Vietnam War
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An American POW being released by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong captors in February 1973.
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Recently released American POWs from North Vietnamese prison camps in 1973.
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Troops of the Suffolk Regiment surrendering to the Japanese, 1942
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Water colour sketch of "Dusty" Rhodes by Ashley George Old
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Australian and Dutch POWs at Tarsau, Thailand in 1943
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U.S. Army Nurses in Santo Tomas Internment Camp, 1943
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U.S. Navy nurses rescued from Los Baños Internment Camp, March 1945
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Canadian POWs at the Liberation of Hong Kong
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Malnourished Australian POWs forced to work at the Aso mining company, August 1945.
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POW art depicting Cabanatuan prison camp, produced in 1946
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See also
In Spanish: Prisionero de guerra para niños
