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With
enormous numbers of its own men in uniform, the Japanese used POWs to fill an
extreme labour shortage to maintain their war effort. This was forbidden by The
Geneva Convention, and POWs initially tried to refuse these tasks but under
extreme threat of beatings or worse, they accepted. Low level sabotage was the
only way left to resist this forced labour. Officers frequently acted as an
interface between captor and captive often receiving terrible treatment for
their efforts.
Some
major projects were prosecuted with inhuman zeal because of their strategic
importance and the belief by the Japanese military that their absolute duty was
to serve the Emperor God Hirohito. This fanatical commitment led to appallingly
high POW death rates and an absence of the common humanities which were required
under international law. After their great military victories and their belief
in their own invincibility, they tended to regard other races as inferior or
subhuman. This attitude was reinforced by the part of Bushido that was
respected, to fight to the death and never surrender. The Japanese were not
prepared for the large numbers of prisoners who surrendered nor did they
understand how true soldiers could surrender.
The
following address illustrates this attitude:
Address by Lt. Colonel Y Nagatomo, commander of 10,000
prisoners working on the Burma-Siam Railway, upon their arrival
It is a great
pleasure to me to see you at this place, as I am appointed Chief of War
Prisoners' Camp in obedience to the Imperial Command issued by His Majesty the
Emperor. The great Asiatic War has broken out due to the rising of the East
Asiatic Nations whose hearts were burnt with the desire to live and preserve
their nations, on account of the intrusion of the British and Americans for the
past many years.
There is
therefore no other reason for Japan to drive out the anti-Axis powers of the
arrogant and insolent British and American from East Asia In co-operation with
our neighbours in China and East Asiatic nations and to establish the Greater
East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere for the benefit of all human
beings and to establish everlasting peace in the world.
During the past
few centuries,
Nippon has made extreme endeavour and made sacrifices to become the leader of
the East Asiatic nations who were mercilessly and pitifully treated by the
outside forces of the American and British; and Nippon without disgracing anyone
has been doing her best for fostering Nippon's real power.
You are only a
few remaining skeletons after the invasion of East Asia for the past few centuries
and are pitiful victims. It is not your fault, but till your Government do not
wake up from the dreams and discontinue their resistance all of you will not be
released. However I shall not treat you badly for the sake of humanity as you
have no fighting power at all. His Majesty the Emperor has been deeply anxious
about all the War Prisoners and has ordered us to enable opening of War
Prisoners' camps at almost all the places in the southward countries. The
Imperial thoughts are unestimable and the Imperial favours are infinite and as
such you should weep with gratitude
at the greatness of them and should correct or mend the misleading and improper
anti-Japanese ideas.
Living manners,
deportment, salutation and attitude shall be strict and according to the rules
of the Nippon Army, because it is only possible to manage you all who are merely
rabbles, by the order of military regulations. . . . My biggest requirement from
you is escape. If there is a man here who has at least one per cent of a chance
of escape we shall make him to face the extreme penalty. If there is one foolish
man who is trying to escape, he shall see big jungles toward the East which are
absolutely impossible for communication, towards the West he shall see the
boundless ocean and above all, in the main points of South and North our Nippon
Army
is staying and guarding. . . .
At the time of
such shortness of materials, your lives are preserved by the Military, and all
of you must reward them with your labour. By the hand of the Nippon Army
railway works to connect Thailand and Burma have started to the great interest
of the world. There are deep jungles where am railway no man comes to clear them
by cutting the trees. There are also countless difficulties and sufferings but
you shall have the honour to join in this great work which was never done before
and you should do your best efforts. . . . In conclusion I say to you "Work
cheerfully" and from henceforth you shall be guided by my motto.
Reproduced from Behind
Bamboo, by Rohan D Rivett, published by Angus & Robertson 1946
It is
likely that, on average, one in three POWs died (the comparable figure for
German POW camps is less than one in twenty five) although this varied hugely –
in Sandakan, there were 2434 deaths, almost 100% - only 6 escapees survived; in
the Moluccas, 45%; the Burma-Siam Railway greater than 20%. In contrast, in
Japan, later in the war, rates were much lower. |
