Prosecuting the Japanese

In coordination with the other Allies in the Pacific, the Dutch decided to prosecute war criminals in their custody at military tribunals. These “temporary courts-martial” were created by the colonial authorities in 1946 and were located in twelve different cities and towns in the East Indies. This chapter explains how these temporary courts-martial were organized, and how the Dutch decided on the thirty-eight war crimes that could be prosecuted at these tribunals. The chapter looks at the rules of evidence created for use at the military tribunals, and examines defences available to those persons accused of committing war crimes. It also looks at how the war crimes tribunals operated in practice between 1946 and 1949.

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