JAPAN’S EPIDEMIC PREVENTION AND WATER SUPPLY DIVISIONS (EPWSDs) IN MALAYA AND TRIALS ADDRESSING DISEASES ALONG THE THAI-BURMA RAILWAY

During World War II (WWII), the Japanese Navy conducted malaria research at the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) in Kuala Lumpur. However, it is unclear whether any Japanese epidemic prevention and water supply division (EPWSD) had followed the Japanese military after Malaya’s invasion and was present at the IMR. Whether the Japanese military at the IMR ever played a role in overseeing the building of the Thai-Burma railway also raises a salient question. Therefore, this study aims to determine whether any Japanese EPWSD had ever been deployed to the IMR and if it played a role in overseeing work at the Thai-Burma railway. A secondary objective is to examine the trials of former Japanese soldiers who were negligent in providing Allied prisoners of war (POWs) with clean accommodations and forced them to live in unsanitary conditions along the railway, resulting in diseases, a punishable war crime. This is a qualitative study that relies on old documents, especially those concerning the trials of the Japanese by the Allies, memoirs of former Japanese soldiers serving in Malaya and other secondary sources. A document and content analysis were conducted. The results of this study are presented as a narrative. The findings show that the 2nd EPWSD, part of the 5th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army, conducted malaria research at the IMR and was present at the Thai-Burma railway to supply clean water with the Ishii Shiro water filter, dig trenches, make attempts to combat malaria and ensure the cleanliness of the camps where POWs lived. However, the trials of Banno Hirateru et al., Major Mizutani, Eiguma Ishida et al. and Seita Takizawa illustrate that failing to ensure sanitary living conditions, resulting in various diseases, and denying medical supplies were punishable war crimes with varying sentences.