Historical War Crimes Trials in Asia

This book offers analyses of historical war crimes trials in Asia from a variety of perspectives. Compared to their counterparts in Europe, the post-WWII war crimes trials in Asia have received much less attention. This is especially true for domestic trials by national authorities in Asia. This book attempts to contribute to the recent trend of uncovering and digging deeper into these trials, with a focus on the Tokyo trial and trials held in China. Sixteen authors from Asia as well as other parts of the world are among the contributors: XUE Ru, ZHU Dan, Yuma Totani, David Cohen, GAO Xiudong, LIU Daqun, WANG Xintong, YANG Lijun, ZHANG Tianshu, ZHANG Binxin, GAO Hong, LI Dan, Nina H.B. Jørgensen, Crystal Yeung, Suzannah Linton, and Guido Acquaviva.

The book examines the historical trials from different perspectives, including the legal concepts used and debates that took place; the influence of the trials within a broader social context, both at their time and later; the collection of evidence; and preservation, compilation and research of historical documents. It not only analyses the trials in their historical and social contexts, but emphasises their present day significance, also as regards the prevention of core international crimes, especially in Asia. The book offers insights on retaining and compiling historical materials concerning these trials as important historical records and new developments in evidence collection in contemporary international criminal courts.