Suchergebnisse

This article examines the Japanese response to international legal codes in their treatment of interned enemy civilians in British Asia during the Second World War. It argues that the Japanese were initially restrained by a limited sense of international obligation and even indicated a conditional willingness to honour certain elements of international law in their treatment of captive civilians. This resulted in some comparatively favourable early internment conditions across British Asia, especially in contrast to those experienced by rank-and-file prisoners of war. However, grave breaches of international legal principles became increasingly commonplace by mid-1943, as the Japanese attempted to deter the spread of potentially subversive activities within their occupied territories.

The similarities and differences between the experiences of prisoners of war and civilian internees of the Japanese have largely been overlooked by studies of Japanese-held prisoners. This article aims to provide this critical comparative perspective by examining the experiences of prisoners of war and civilians in four key theatres of the war in British Asia: Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore and Borneo. It draws largely, however, on the intriguing case study of the Lintang Camp in Borneo (Sarawak) where prisoners of war were imprisoned alongside civilian internees during the war. It argues that there were overarching similarities and constraints to both sets of experiences, but key differences in Japanese wartime policies and a variety of other factors such as combatant status, class, rank, active agency, leadership, and gender also contributed to how captivity was experienced during this tumultuous period.

Long a topic of historical interest, wartime captivity has over the past decade taken on new urgency as an object of study. Transnational by its very nature, captivity's historical significance extends far beyond the front lines, ultimately inextricable from the histories of mobilization, nationalism, colonialism, law, and a host of other related subjects. This wide-ranging volume brings together an international selection of scholars to trace the contours of this evolving research agenda, offering fascinating new perspectives on historical moments that range from the early days of the Great War to the arrival of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay