ABSTRACT
The closer the battle got to Stanley the more the civilian population was at risk. There was some discussion about whether to seek to arrange special protection for the islanders so as not to inhibit the British military advance. Under Article 17 of the 4th Geneva Convention (protection of civilians) Argentine forces were obliged to ‘endeavour to conclude local agreements for the removal from besieged or encircled areas, of wounded, sick, infirm, and aged persons, children and maternity cases, and for the passage of ministers of all religions, medical personnel and medical equipment on their way to such areas’, while under Article 34 hostage-taking was prohibited, and under Article 49, they should ‘not detain protected persons in an area particularly exposed to the dangers of war unless the security of the population or imperative military reasons so demand.’
