From: J Harding, HB(A)
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Room 4/02
3-5 Great Scotland Yard, London SW1A 2HW
Telephone (Direct Dialling) 071-21-8 }
ext (Switchboard) 071-21-89000
R Brunton Esq
FCO
London
SW1A
Rosl
84011
Your reference
Our referent (A)/5/3
Date 27october 1993
Further to our telecon this morning we have looked into the question of allegations that females from the civilian population of Hong Kong were forced by the Japanese into prostitution as "Comfort Women" when Hong Kong was captured by the Japanese in WW2.
As you will be aware, Britain and the other Allies carried out extensive war crimes investigations in the Far East after the Japanese surrender and, in addition to the trial at the International Military Tribunal in Tokyo of Japanese political leaders and senior officers, some 920 other Japanese were brought to trial before British Military Courts including some in Hong Kong.
Such trials could only take place however when evidence of crimes was brought to the attention of the British investigators. Without extensive research we cannot provide a definitive answer on this particular aspect of Japanese crimes as it affects Hong Kong, but we can find no direct references among British official papers or secondary sources that we have to hand
that any evidence was submitted of such occurrences having taken place in Hong Kong. However there is no doubt that such criminal treatment of civilians did take place and a published (and well-researched) work on Hong Kong after its capture: "At the Going Down of the Sun" by O Lindsay, published in 1981, includes a brief reference to a request from a Japanese Colonel for '500 girls'.
I would add that a Netherlands Court in Batavia convicted one individual of "war crimes" for holding women against their will and forcing them into prostitution.
I hope this is of some help. If you have any questions, pleasde let me know.
Your Age
Joh
Army Historical Branch
Recycled Paper
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