After World War II, countries that refused Japan's surrender directly trapped 200,000 Japanese prisoners of war
After the outbreak of World War II, the war spread, and the Japanese army was overwhelmed, stepping into the Pacific theater and expanding to the whole of Southeast Asia.
As the war intensified, the Pacific theater became a sea filled with gunpowder. In addition to the Japanese army, there were also American, Chinese, British, and later Australian troops. And they were also the only country that refused Japan's surrender, directly trapping 200,000 Japanese prisoners of war. Next, let's walk into this story together.
After the outbreak of World War II, the Pacific theater became the focus of contention among various countries. Australia, as a country located in Oceania, did not intend to participate in this brutal war. Their vast territory and unique geographical location seem to allow them to stay out of the war. Australians are well aware of the devastation of war and, in general, are reluctant to get involved.
Everything changed in 1942. The Japanese army suddenly launched an air raid on the Australian port of Darwin, which caused serious ** and losses. The airstrike destroyed almost all of Australia's military installations in that area and brought great pain and fear to the Australian people.
Over the next year or so, the Japanese bombardment of the port of Darwin continued, dealing a heavy blow to Australia. Many century-old buildings and street furniture were destroyed, and the air raid became one of the major tragedies in Australian history, also known as the "air raid on Darwin Harbour".
This incident also provoked the anger of the Australian soldiers, but they suffered heavy losses in the face of the strength of the Japanese army.
So in the period after the war, Australia's mood can be said to be angry and unwilling. They have vivid memories of the damage inflicted on their country by the Japanese army during World War II, and they cannot let go of it. This anger and hatred prompted them to take drastic action in retaliation for the Japanese aggression.
Instead of repaying the grievances with virtue like other countries, Australia chose to retaliate. They subjected the 200,000 Japanese prisoners of war who remained in Australia to the point of being worse than death.
In the Australian prisoner of war camps, Japanese prisoners of war were subjected to extreme abuse. They suffer from hunger and cold, and are often subjected to brutal corporal punishment and humiliation. When they try to flee or surrender, Australian soldiers do not even hesitate to use guns to suppress them.
Even more terrifying, when Japanese POWs were forced to flee into the nearby rainforest, they faced even more difficult challenges to survive. Tropical rainforests are full of dangers, poisonous insects, predators and even harsh natural environments that threaten their lives at all times. In such an environment, they have little chance of survival.
In this act of retaliation, the Australians showed no mercy. For them, these Japanese POWs were nothing more than a deep-seated enemy who was determined to take revenge for the damage done to Australia by the most brutal means.
In the midst of this dark history, Australia** has chosen to dispose of Japanese war criminals on its own rather than hand over their lists to an international tribunal. Instead of giving these war criminals any protection, they executed more than 140 Japanese war criminals without any trial. Such private actions are contrary to the provisions of international law. But in a way, it is also an act of revenge for their compatriots who died. So what do you think about this?
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