No, it is a stupid idea . . . I have a bomber, and I am lining up to hit AA site. AA Site rolls out that flag as described in that section. How does the bomber take them prisoner? How does it keep them prisoner? How does the bomber insure they are no longer active in combat? Answer- They can't, can't, and no possible way.
Further example- a covert operation that is behind enemy lines, either dropped in by 'chute, VTOL, or swam in, in a effort to take out a HQ, bridge or some other key objective as part of a general offensive. They are following the laws of war as it applies, namely they wear their own countries uniform for identification. To protect such objectives, an opponent generally runs patrols in sensitive areas and has LPOP to guard approaches. Covert team cannot avoid a patrol, get in a fire fight and a survivor tries to surrender . . . how does that team take that person prisoner- because when you take a prisoner you are responsible for their welfare and safety? IF they take them with them, it is a walking breathing security risk that endangers the whole team to discovery. Further, having one or more individuals on that covert team trying to guard the prisoner distracts them from their jobs and again risks the lives of the team.
Ok, tie them up and leave them behind. Well, if that person is recovered they now have intel on the team- size, activity, location (direction they came from, where contact was made, direction they left), uniform, time, and equipment. All the things you want in a recon report. This endangers the team, risks the mission being incomplete, and because the objective is not destroyed or degraded, endangers the lives of the troops who need that objective degraded in their coming assault. But suppose the person is not recovered . . . but hidden too well, tied up, gagged, and blindfolded -the steps which would be the common out for the report attempted, does not work b/c they already know things since you cannot erase memory- so that any patrol sent to find the missing patrol cannot locate them. Because, btw, a covert team if they had the time would try to sanitize the contact site to disguise their numbers, injuries, and weapons . . . which also means hauling off the dead bodies to hide them because it would delay pursuit since a starting point would not be obvious. So the theoretical surrendering person is left to the mercy of the elements or wildlife, which violates the mandate that they care for and protect the prisoner.
Once you take up arms, you have no right to surrender. For all the other insanity that various international bodies keep trying to codify into the laws of war, there is a reason it has never been done.
Military life is full of things that civilians would not be asked to do or could be considered atrocities. Dresden firebombing for instance. Heck, do you know what happens in Bio/Chem environment? The sensors after whatever period give the all-clear, everything is tested again . . . and then they go to the lowest ranking non-essential person in the affected unit, take their personal weapon . . . and order them out of protective gear. The doctrine is to use a human guinea pig to ensure the environment is safe for everyone else to uncover and that the equipment is not defective.
