Police action
In
The earliest use of the phrase dates back to 1883, describing attempts by Dutch and British forces to liberate the 28-man crew of the SS Nisero, who were held hostage in Sumatra.[3] The Dutch term politionele acties (police actions) was used for this. The Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: Eleventh Edition called it in its 1933 issue; a localized military action undertaken without formal declaration of war by regular armed forces against persons (as guerrillas or aggressors) held to be violators of international peace and order.[4] It was also used to imply a formal claim of sovereignty by colonial powers, such as in the military actions of the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Western powers during conflicts such as the Indonesian National Revolution and the Malayan Emergency.[citation needed]
Examples of police actions
The various Banana Wars, from April 21, 1898, to August 1, 1934, were called police actions by the US government.[5]
The two major
The 1948 action, by
In the early days of the
Shortly after the secession of Biafra in 1967, which took place during a period of chaotic political turmoil, the Nigerian military government launched a "police action" to retake the secessionist territory, and the rising violence turned into the Nigerian Civil War. During a May 2017 remembrance event, Ohanaeze Ndigbo leader John Nnia Nwodo stated that "Nigeria faced disintegration by the declaration of the Republic of Biafra" and lamented how the "commencement of a police action that turned into a three years civil war" caused "sacrifice– in blood, suffering and toil".[10]
The Vietnam War and the Kargil War were undeclared wars and hence are sometimes described as police actions.
The Soviet–Afghan War was an undeclared war and hence also could be described as a police action, especially since the initial troop deployments into Afghanistan were at the request of the Afghan government.
In other events, the
The United Nations approved police action during the 2011 military intervention in Libya to protect civilians. Since the September 11 attacks, states have militarily pursued individuals they deem terrorists within the borders of other states in a form of police action that is not clearly defined in the international law.[11]
So-called "Indonesian security forces" use police actions against uprisings of Papuans in the easternmost province. The Indonesian police have been empowered to lead the counterinsurgency operation against the
Under international law
Police actions are authorized specifically by the Security Council under Article 53 (for regional action) or Article 42 (for global action). In both cases, the term used in the Charter text (English) is 'enforcement action'; the term 'police action' is not used.[citation needed]
Appropriate use of the term
Use of the term does not appear to have gained currency outside of the limited arena of justification of military action:[
Similarly, a plaque at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial refers to the Vietnam War as a war, not a police action, even though it was undeclared.
Use of the term "police action" is intended to imply either a claim of formal sovereignty or of authority to intervene militarily at a nation's own discretion, typically unilaterally or with a small group of nations. This is often done through the United Nations or by asserting that the military operation is defensive or humanitarian in nature such as the
See also
- War Powers Resolution of 1973
- Declaration of war by the United States
- Gun boat diplomacy
- Humanitarian intervention
- Intervention (international law)
- Interventionism (politics)
- Special military operation
References
- from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ Colonial Counterinsurgency and Mass Violence. The Dutch Empire in Indonesia, edited by Bart Luttikhuis and A. Dirk Moses
- ^ "SS Nisero". Wrecksite. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ISBN 9780877798095. Archivedfrom the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ "Definition of Banana Wars in U.S. History".
- ISBN 0-521-54262-6.
- ^ Majid, Daneesh (7 September 2018). "When the troops went marching in". @businessline. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ "The President's News Conference of June 29, 1950". TeachingAmericanHistory.org. Archived from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ MacGrgor, Tom (10 November 2023). "MacGregor: A Remembrance Day tribute to Canada's Korean War veterans". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Nwodo, John (25 May 2017). "50 Years After Biafra: Reflections And Hopes". The Cable. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ "Police action | military operation | Britannica". Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
- ^ "Indonesian security forces shoot dead one rebel in Papua province - Xinhua | English.news.cn". Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
- ^ "Korean War". Archived from the original on 16 April 2000.