? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

The Asian counterpart to the Nazi Nuremberg trials: Judgment at Tokyo:World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia by Gary J. Bass takes a look at the post-WWII prosecution of Japanese leaders for military atrocities committed during the war.

After Japan’s surrender to the Allies, there was a question of how to move on from the years of destruction of which there was a long list of documented events worthy of a trial: Pearl Harbor, atrocities against the Chinese, the Philippines, and Korea, and the abuse of prisoners.

Bass saw this not only as an opportunity for justice, but that it could also set a precedent for the prosecution of war crimes. It’s clear what the Allies would argue in the legal proceedings, but what the book shares is the Japanese’ strong stance on waging war to liberate Asia from Western Imperialism.

Lasting more than two years, the trial, presented to judges from China, India, the Philippines, Australia, US, and Europe, brought inevitable divisions across Asia and contributed to a series of historical events. Bass takes readers on a breakdown of how these elaborate trials sparked the tensions that led to China’s descent into civil war, India’s independence, and many more.

Now more than ever, accountability and punishment for committing atrocities is a necessary discussion. Bass makes sure to highlight the need for real efficacy of international law in his impressively comprehensive book using thorough and extensive research. He delivers his historical analysis in a manner that is, refreshingly, not dull.

All angles are considered. The author makes sure to identify just how far international law still has to go before becoming a norm. But, most interestingly, he emphasizes how the winners of war are never tried, despite whatever atrocities they commit themselves. The Americans were never tried for their interventions in Vietnam, Cambodia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, for instance.

“Only a lost war is a crime,” laments Indian judge Radhabinod Pal. And with how international law operates at present, he is quite correct. Curtis LeMay himself, who should have earned a spot on the stand for his aerial destruction of 67 Japanese cities, was never prosecuted — let alone tried. Aware of his privilege, LeMay admits, “Fortunately, we were on the winning side.”

We think this book is a must-read. If you are passionate about justice, history, or even just enjoyed seeing the hearings play out in Oppenheimer, this is one worth picking up.

You can find this book on Amazon.

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