Robert Cribb

In this engaging discussion, Robert Cribb, an Emeritus Professor of Asian History, dives into the harrowing history of detention camps in Asia. He examines the massive scale of imprisonment, the psychological impact on detainees, and the societal implications of these camps. The podcast offers a comparative analysis with Nazi extermination camps and sheds light on Indonesia's dark political genocide. Cribb also reflects on the challenges of academic editing while delving into the complexities of historical narratives involving war crimes. It's a thought-provoking journey into a painful yet crucial aspect of modern Asian history.

Robert Cribb, an Emeritus professor of Asian history specializing in Southeast Asia, and Sandra Wilson, a professor of Japanese history and expert in Japanese sources, discuss thirteen cases of wartime violence. They explore trials, military records, the limits of cultural explanations, wartime pressures and choices, and how individuals came to commit atrocities. The conversation highlights documentation, controversial verdicts, and legal complexities.

Sandra Wilson, a historian of modern Japan, and Robert Cribb, an expert on Southeast Asian wartime violence, discuss their book on thirteen wartime trials. They explain their archival methods and collaborative approach. They cover trial records, contested defenses, command responsibility, cases from massacres to cannibalism, and the roles of colonial subjects in wartime abuses.