Hong Kong’s War Crimes Trials Collection

In 2008, the HK goverment funded a project to research Hong Kong’s War Crimes Trials conducted in the years 1946-1948. A total of 46 cases with 123 accused persons were studied. An overwiew of this project can be found here.

Of special interest might be the case WO235/1012:

In this case five Japanese officers were charged to have committed war crimes:

Col. Tokunaga Isao (D1)
Capt. Saito Shunkichi (D2)
Lt. Tanaka Hitochi (D3)
Int. Tsutada Itsuo (D4)
Sgt. Harada Jotaro (D5)

One of the charges was:

First Charge (against all Accused)
“COMMITTING A WAR CRIME, in that they at SHAM SHUI PO, HONG KONG, between the 24 January 1942 and the 15 August 1945 when members of the Prisoners-of-War Camp Staff under the command of the first named accused, and responsible for the well-being of British, Canadian and Dutch Prisoners-of-War interned in the SHAM SHUI PO Prisoners-of-War Camp were, in violation of the laws and usages or war, together concerned in the inhumane treatment of the said Prisoners-of-War resulting in the deaths of some and in physical sufferings to others.”

The trial was conducted from October 1946 to February 1947, the judgement day was 1947-02-14.

Sentence Imposed

D1: death by hanging, commuted to imprisonment of life;
D2: death by hanging, commuted to 20 years imprisonment
D3: 3 years imprisonment
D4: 2 years imprisonment
D5: 1 year imprisonment

Further reading here.

(Note: Italic text is a citation from the report)