As I understand it, genocide is physical extermination of people. Ethnic cleansing is removal of ethnic group from specific territory. For example, removal of Armenians from Nagorno Karabah in 2023 is ethnic cleansing. Mass murder of yezidis by ISIS is genocide.
The distinction between ethnic cleansing and genocide is very unclear. In practice, "ethnic cleansing" is used by governments to avoid the responsibility to intervene (under international law) that would come with a genocide.
> From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
>
> ethnic cleansing
> n : the mass expulsion and killing of one ethic or religious group in an area by another ethnic or religious group in that area
> From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
>
> genocide
> n : systematic killing of a racial or cultural group [syn: {race murder}, {racial extermination}]
> intervene (under international law) that would come with a genocide
Perhaps. Although, at this point international law more and more seems like an optional thing, that is used only when it’s convenient, and only when there is a clear path to win the case.
For example, there is a clear genocide (although not via a military campaign) of Uighurs in China: declining birth rates, re-education camps, eradication of a culture and a language. Clearly done in a systemic way. However, no one dares to take a clear action here because China is too powerful.
> ... international law more and more seems like an optional thing, that is used only when it’s convenient, and only when there is a clear path to win the case.
Yeah, international law and international bodies have always been more or less a bad joke. They were developed with good intentions, but ideals never last long in the face of reality. Game theory and basic human nature necessitate conflict and tribalism when trapped at the bottom of a gravity well with limited resources. It's depressing.
It seems to me that if the things are different, then they have to have a different name. Otherwise how would you differentiate between them?
Ethnic cleansing: removal of a group due to their ethnicity from a piece of land. The result: this group of people stays alive, but has to go to a different place.
Genocide: physical extermination of an ethnic group. The result: they are all dead.
Why these two distinct events should have the same name???
