text: Civilians
  opportunity to explain his or her conduct and to defend himself or herself against the allegation (GC art. 123).
  Disciplinary procedures are similar to those employed in POW camps (see, generally, paragraphs 3-126
  through 3-128). Criminal proceedings against internees must comply with the procedures discussed in
  paragraphs 6-171 through 6-201.
  Complaints and Petitions by Internees
  5-128. Internees have the right to present to the detaining authorities any petition with regard to the
  conditions of internment to which they are subjected (GC art. 101). The commander of an internment facility
  should establish a procedure to facilitate the exercise of an internee’s right to petition. This procedure should
  include a designated point of contact for such petitions.
  5-129. Internees also have the right to apply without restriction through the internee committee or, if they
  consider it necessary, directly to the representatives of the protecting power in order to indicate to them any
  points on which they may have complaints to make with regard to the conditions of internment. Such
  complaints may also be made to the delegates of the ICRC, who enjoy the same prerogatives of access to
  internees as the representatives of the protecting power.
  5-130. Such petitions and complaints must be transmitted without delay or alteration. Even if petitions or
  complaints are unfounded, they may not occasion any punishment.
  5-131. The detaining power may examine and censor complaints and petitions for security reasons.
  Communications for transmittal may be examined to determine whether they legitimately contain complaints
  or petitions. Security review and censorship must be conducted in accordance with the general rule on
  censoring internee correspondence. The detaining power may also examine such complaints and reports to
  the protecting power representatives to verify that they are what they purport to be, and to delete matters not
  constituting either a complaint or a report within the meaning of the foregoing provision.
  5-132. Internee committees may send periodic reports on internee needs and the internment situation to the
  protecting power representatives (GC art. 101). The detaining power may subject these reports to security
  review and censorship to ensure these reports are not misused.
  Report Allegations
  5-133. Any credible allegation of a LOAC violation regarding internees must be reported to the chain of
  command and the proper investigative authority, such as the service major criminal investigative organization
  (such as the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division [CID]) (see DODD 2310.01E).
  Internee Committees
  5-134. In every place of internment, the internees are to freely elect, by secret ballot every six months, the
  members of an internee committee empowered to represent them before the detaining power and the
  protecting powers, the ICRC, and any other organization that may assist them. Members of the committee
  are eligible for re-election. Internees so elected enter upon their duties after the detaining authorities approve
  their election. The reasons for any refusals or dismissals must be communicated to the protecting powers
  concerned (GC art. 102). Internee committee members who are transferred must be allowed a reasonable
  time to acquaint their successors with current affairs (GC art. 104).
  5-135. The duties of internee committees include, furthering the physical, spiritual, and intellectual well-
  being of the internees, much like the duties of prisoners’ representatives for POWs (see paragraphs 3-81
  through 3-84). These general duties imply that internee committees are to undertake a variety of activities to
  ensure that internees receive proper treatment by the detaining power and to advance their welfare, even
  activities that are not specified in the GC as constituting their duties. In case the internees decide, in particular,
  to organize a system of mutual assistance among themselves, this organization would be within the
  competence of the internee committees, in addition to the specific duties entrusted to them under other
  provisions of the GC (GC art. 103).
  5-136. Members of internee committees may not be required to perform any other work if the work will
  hinder accomplishment of their duties. Members of internee committees may appoint from among the
  internees such assistants as they require. All material facilities are to be granted to members of the internee