The Geneva Convention is where the prisoners of war are to be kept under the protection and the rule of principles of the law of international society, as the law results from the usages established among civilized peoples, from the laws of humanity, and the mind of the public conscience. The prisoners’ rights are in the hands of the enemy Power, but not of the individuals or military units who have captured them. They should not be tortured physically or mentally. In the movie, the Japanese commander, Colonel Saito told the British prisoners to build a bridge across the River Kwai. He claimed that the officers would work together with the men. He gave compensation that if one works hard, he will be treated well, but if not, he will be punished. The brave, proud, and determined, but stubborn British officer Colonel Nicholson refuses to surrender his full command of his troop. He argued with Saito that according to the Geneva Convention, officers are not permitted to do manual labor alongside the prisoners. In the Convention, it states that officers must be fully acquainted with the text of the Convention and the relevant provisions of the Protocol. The texts must also be posted obviously in each camp, in the prisoners’ own language. Thus, Nicholson rather kept his men standing in the hot sun, than letting his officers work side-by-side in physical labor with the other men. He showed the Geneva Convention to the Saito to defend his principles. Instead, Saito slaps Nicholson across the face with the book and did even bother to follow the lawsuit of the Geneva Convention code.
The Convention also states that all prisoners of wars must at all times be treated humanely and alike not accounting the rank, sex, state of health, age or professional qualifications. However, the Japanese officers did not work alongside their men when they were building the bridge. On the other hand, the sick and disabled British officers were forced to work even with unstable conditions. Indirectly, their own British Commander had forced them to work brutally. The Convention states that the Detaining Power holds responsibility for the life and welfare of the prisoners of war and they must be kept in good health. The course of action during the building of the bridge has violated humanity in the purpose of the Geneva Convention.
Although their prisoners of wars, they may be only be located in premises that is a guarantee of hygiene and wholesomeness. Prisoners of war shall receive any medical care needed and preferably be treated by medical personnel of the Power on which they depend. However, the River Kwai incident had violated this section. For example, officer Shears had told Commander Nicholson that he and the Australian are the only remaining survivors of the prisoners of wars who built the camp. Most of the men have died, of malaria, dysentery, beriberi and gangrene. While other causes of death: famine, overwork, bullet wounds, snake bites, and some just got pressured from Saito that they just got tired of living.
In the Discipline Sanctions convention, prisoners of war are to be ensured of undergoing greatest leniency during judicial punishment. This section has also been violated in where the officers were physically tortured with inhuman and brutal punishment. For example, The British officers were ordered to "the punishment hut" while Commander Nicholson was dragged to a ridged metal-encased sweat box (called "the oven" by Shears) to be tortured in the blazing sun so that he will change his mind about having his officers working with the prisoners in building the bridge. He was not given water, food and open air for days. Punishments of imprisonment in premises without daylight and cruelty are forbidden as this violates the Geneva Convention with such human acts and punishments.
Prisoners of wars are still human. All of them should be treated equally and humanely in accordance with the Conventions as these demonstrate the importance of these norms in international society. The enemy of Power has no right to misuse their manual labor for their own benefits. Cruelty towards all people shall be forbidden in any captures. Strict rules and regulations should be enforced by the international society. The Geneva Convention is one of the human rights regulations that protect the prisoners of wars’ rights and individuality.
