Sugasawa Iju

Case Summary

Colonel Sugasawa Iju was the Commander of the Siam Prisoner-of-War Administration operating in Siam and was charged with violation of the laws of war by allowing the ill-treatment of Indian, British, Australian and Dutch Prisoners-of-War under his command and forcing them to be exposed to danger from aerial bombardment leading to several deaths by making them (1) handle munitions, (2) work on the Burma-Siam Railway and (3) construct defensive emplacements for the Japanese Army.

For more information see:

http://ttp://www.legal-tools.org/doc/a285bf/

http://www.legal-tools.org/doc/461289/

http://http://www.legal-tools.org/doc/2d84e1/

This case involves the infamous Burma-Siam Railway. A prosecution witness, Major Chida Sotomatsu was not allowed to enter the witness box by the court because he was not properly dressed. The court asked the press to ignore this part of the trial and Major Chida Sotomatsu gave witness the following day, presumably dressed in the proper attire. This was likely because he was still imprisoned at that time and had already been convicted for his role in the death and illtreatment of Prisoners-of-War in case 084 (Ishida Eiguma and others).

Court proceedings were held at the Victoria Memorial Concert Hall in Singapore.

Lieutenant Colonel Toosey, the officer that allegely inspired Sir Alec Guiness's character in the film The Bridge Over The River Kwai testified by affidavit and was is said to have requested an evacuation of the Prisoners-of-War Camp from the defendant after an air attack.