It is clear that the input of the Imperial States to an international United Nations definition of genocide in 1947, had represented a vested interest in limiting the debate on culpability to matters of 'physical' genocide only.   Considering that most, if not all, of the Imperial States indulged, in one way or another, in the 'not legally defined' forms of genocide, such a narrow definition can only be seen to be fatally flawed.   The consequence of this obvious protectionism is that the majority nation within the States can pursue its policies of persecuting the minority nations with impunity.   The fact, for example, that non-physical and psychological 'techniques' of genocide are not recognised in international law means that those minority nations/groups, affected by it and making such a claim, are antagonistically met with ridicule and derision coupled with a feigned outrage As here! that such claims can be made.   Predictably, because of a contrived limiting of the debate to 'physical' acts of genocide, such antagonists superficially, and ignorantly, equate all genocide to such atrocities as the Holocaust et al.   Such antagonists seem blind to the fact that the Imperial States and their agencies will be compelled, through vested interest and self-preservation, to ridicule any suggestion that there could be such a concept as a psychological application of the techniques of genocide. Consider, if you will, the similarity with physical bullying and the insidious nature of psychological bullying!

What is not understood, because of the contrived limitation of the legal definition, is just how broad the original definition of the concept of genocide was proposed to be by Raphael Lemkin, who coined the word, and who was a key player in bringing about an international definition of genocide.   He was a consultant to the UN Secretary-General during the drafting of the Genocide Convention.   Lemkin was well aware that the concept of genocide did not necessarily suggest that the process was immediate but was aimed at the destruction of the very foundations upon which the existence of the nation/group were built.   His original definition was:

"A co-ordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves.   The objective of such a plan would be the disintegration of the political and social institutions of culture, language, national feelings, religion, and the economic existence of the national groups and the destruction of the personal security, liberty, health, dignity and even the lives of the individual belonging to such groups.   Genocide is directed against the national group as an entity, and the actions involved are directed against individuals, not in their individual capacity, but as members of the national group."

He identifies two significant aspects of the process.   The first, of which, had also been previously termed 'denationalization' at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.   This term also had the meaning 'to be deprived of citizenship'. It was also inadequate in its ability to encompass the second:

"Genocide has two phases: one,   destruction of the national pattern of the oppressed group;   the other,   the imposition of the national pattern of the oppressor.   This imposition, in turn, may be made upon the oppressed population which is allowed to remain or upon the territory alone, after removal of the population and the colonization by the oppressor's own nationals."

Whether we are considering aspects of physical, or psychological, acts of genocide, I feel that it is possible to draw parallels between both forms.   This can be done simply by looking at the words descriptive of physical acts of genocide and, by the application of synonyms, identify some analogous non-physical (ie psychological) process.  The emotional responses to the concept of Cornish Genocide is that no Cornish person is being 'killed', 'starved' or 'gassed' and that we are in a position to challenge and respond to any such acts of genocide against the Cornish people.

I have considered the synonyms for 'to Kill' on another page so let us consider the latter two of 'starved' & 'gassed'.  These can be represented respectively by 'deprived' & 'asphyxiated' and applied to the fact that we have been deprived of both knowledge about our country and history whilst progressively being asphyxiated by unacceptable levels of immigration into our country, as controlled by an external agency - the Anglo-centric State.   Likewise, we have been deprived of the legitimate constitution of our 'Cornish Duchy' whilst also being asphyxiated by the establishment of an 'English county' administration for Cornwall.   This process has been covertly imprinted into people's perceptions of Cornwall over a very long period and only over the past 100 years, coincidental with the imposition of an 'English' administrative county status, started to be challenged.

Its relationship to the psychological processes of genocide has only been identified over the past 20 years and the responses, when challenged, are predictable for the reasons mentioned above.  The insidious nature of these extremely sophisticated forms of genocide can now also be seen to be a key element in the progression of English Imperialism and, having its roots as far back as the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon period in the 5th century, from where it derives its own inertia.  A study of the Cornish Paradox and the arguments ranged against our legitimacy (throughout recorded history) as the Cornish Nation, will give an insight into the growth of the English Hegemony, at the expense of the Celtic-speaking peoples that preceded the Germanic arrival to Britain.

Based on his analysis of the example of Nazi Germany, Lemkin identifies the following eight 'Techniques of Genocide' and gives examples of what each meant to him from his analysis.  Lemkin's examples may be viewed by visiting the   'Prevent Genocide'   website.   Rather than repeat them here, however, I feel that it would be more relevant to this site, to use his examples purely as a basis in identifying how these techniques may be seen to apply to a process of Cornish Genocide within our Cornish Duchy.   It is quite possible that any example I include might, more properly, be included under one of the other headings/techniques.   More examples will, I am sure, be added over time as the subject is treated in a less dismissive way and as a greater understanding of the way we have been treated, over time, becomes more obvious.   Indeed, more techniques (for example, destruction of the 'people-territory' relationship) could well emerge from the Cornish experience as worthy of separate categorisation and contributions from others would be welcome.

POLITICAL	Cornwall should be considered as a separate Nation within the Island of Britain and not 'in England' (the country) but Cornish institutions of government have been 'brought into line' with those of the Protecting Power merely as that of an 'English' county.   This action was reinforced with the introduction of administrative 'county councils' in 1889 and administrative buildings had the word 'County' emblazoned upon them to mnemonically enforce the political change. The constitution of the Duchy of Cornwall has been suppressed to facilitate this and the Duke of Cornwall as head of the Commonwealth of Cornwall fails to meet his obligations and responsibilities to Cornwall and the Cornish people Cornish Institutions of State have progressively been removed and merged external to the Cornish Duchy as part of an 'English' regional strategy to the detriment of Cornwall and the Cornish people. The UK Government has recently recognised the Cornish language but this has been reluctantly given and only because of the existence of relevant protocols from the Council of Europe. The UK Government has yet to make a decision on whether, with similar reluctance, Cornwall should receive the protection offered by the Council of Europe's Convention for the Protection of National Minorities - their 2nd compliance report to the Council of Europe is long overdue [deadline of May 2004 but not yet submitted by the end of 2006] and will determine the next phase of Cornish Action. The progressive destruction of the Cornish 'people-territory' relationship has seen the Cornish people being politically marginalised within the State's pre-occupation to subsume Cornish Territory and Cornish Rights within an imposed 'English' South West region.   The campaign over our Cornish Right to have our own unambiguous member of the European Parliament saw how ultimately the use of proportional representation precluded the Cornish from having any say over what happens in Cornwall. Article 16., of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, provides that: The Parties shall refrain from measures which alter the proportions of the population in areas inhabited by persons belonging to national minorities and are aimed at restricting the rights and freedoms flowing from the principles enshrined in the present framework Convention. The failure of the UK Government to acknowledge the Cornish people as a national minority, facilitates the further infringement of this article in the continuing colonisation and, hence, Anglification, of our country.   In 1969, the former Greater London Council pursued a policy of, what the English themselves termed, "Granny Dumping". This was a process of buying up land in Cornwall (and elsewhere) and establishing residential areas for its unproductive elderly.   There is currently (November 2006) a proposal by some London councils to resolve its housing needs by offering cash incentives for people to move to Cornwall (and elsewhere). Thus we have another example of the modern equivalent to the Imperial colonising ploy of settling Anglo-Protestants in Ireland. The 'Cornish' are now considered to represent only 40 per cent of the population of Cornwall and such a policy can only complement the marginalisation process being enacted against the Cornish National Minority within their historic territory! Uncontrolled (?) immigration into our Cornish Duchy means that over time the Cornish people will be 'outvoted' by a process jokingly called 'democratic principles'.
SOCIAL	It is clear from a proposed book on Cornish Law, that the legal system, courts etc., within Cornwall have again been manipulated, misrepresented and 'brought into line' to equate to that of an English administrative county The merging of the Cornish police force with the English county of Devonshire has had a significant effect in confusing Cornish perception of themselves and their relationship to their territory, within this coercive 'Devon & Cornwall' construct. A similar concern exists with other branches of the Emergency services as they become, inexorably, merged with non-Cornish areas whereas the existence of a legitimate Cornish Government would have found internal, ie. Cornish, solutions to perceived problems relating to economy of scale.   Each of these changes have had a significant effect on diluting how the Cornish value and perceive themselves relative to their national territory. This fragmentation of identity is reinforced by being compelled to pursue 'betterment' of work oportunities away from their Cornish territory.
CULTURAL	The imposition of the English language in 1549, through the medium of common prayer, was an act of aggression which took no account of the fact that many Cornish people, at that time, did not speak or understand any English.   It is marked as a critical point in the decline of the Cornish language. The endeavours of the Cornish language renaissance movement during the 20th century has shown the will of the Cornish people to speak their own language.   The State has, consequently, been compelled to recognise the existence of the Cornish language by the existence of the Council of Europe protocol on Minority Languages, rather than on integrity and altruism. Official support for its day to day promotion, however, is not seen to be one of enthusiasm. The deliberate failure of the formal education system to provide any means for the Cornish people to be taught anything about their past history and geography, thus denying the Cornish people access to the very fundamentals of their national identity and deliberately cultivating a crisis of confidence in their national identity.
ECONOMIC	This is such a complex technique that Lemkin's general statement can be utilised, and/or [modified]. The destruction of the foundations of the economic existence of a national group necessarily brings about a crippling of its development, even a retrogression. The lowering of the standards of living creates difficulties in fulfilling cultural-spiritual requirements. Furthermore, a daily fight literally for bread and for physical survival may handicap thinking in both general and national terms. Participation in economic life is thus made dependent upon one's being [English] or being devoted to the cause of [Angloism]. Consequently, promoting a national ideology other than [English] is made difficult [and dangerous]. Because of the inability to focus on 'specifically Cornish' problems, there has been a considerable level of in-migration into Cornwall which may be seen to have the effect of replacing the indigenous population of Cornwall with a colonisation by members of the Protecting (sic) Power The superficial view of Cornwall, based on current house prices, is one of significant affluence. The counter to this is the fact that the level of wages within the Duchy is some 17 percent below the United Kingdom average and people, for the past 20 years, have found it impossible to achieve the accepted norm of owning their own homes.   This situation has recently also become a problem within England itself but I would draw the distinction between what the English Imperial State does to its own people and what they have done, historically, to the Cornish!
BIOLOGICAL	Uncontrolled immigration into Cornwall complemented by economic policies which compel the Cornish to leave their country
PHYSICAL	No examples to hand, but other forms of genocide are deliberately 'hidden' by the UN defining ONLY the aspects of this technique of genocide
RELIGIOUS	Prior to Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549, the Cornish religion was essentially Catholic and services conducted in Latin & Cornish.   Subsequent to this the language of the services and the Bible where imposed in English.   The consequence of this was both the fatal decline of the Cornish language and an eventual embracing of the non-Conformist forms of religious teachings such as Methodism, rather than the imposed State Religion of the Church of England.
MORAL	How this fits into the plan for the Cornish is unclear, but there is, in general, some logic in retaining Lemkin's original comment on this, namely: "In order to weaken the spiritual resistance of the national group, the occupant attempts to create an atmosphere of moral debasement within this group. According to this plan, the mental energy of the group should be concentrated upon base instincts and should be diverted from moral and national thinking.   It is important for the realization of such a plan that the desire for cheap individual pleasure be substituted for the desire for collective feelings and ideals based upon a higher morality."   And, perhaps also, political awarenes?

This page will be added to as more information comes to light

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