The way criminals are treated has been changing for centuries. When the West started to abolish corporal punishments and treat prisoners with more respect, Japan wanted to follow to gain respect...Show moreThe way criminals are treated has been changing for centuries. When the West started to abolish corporal punishments and treat prisoners with more respect, Japan wanted to follow to gain respect and be seen as a world power. Nowadays, there is a UN document that states how to treat prisoners in a humane way, But during the early 20th century this was not yet in use. When Japan colonized the Korean peninsula and reformed their prison system, it was more humane, but whether that is true has not been researched yet. Neither is the question if Japan treated the prisoners on the Korean peninsula the same as they treated the prisoners on the mainland of Japan. This study found out that there was a significant difference in treatment in both the prison systems, mainly due to the use of torture. Thus, the treatment of Korean prisoners in Korea cannot be deemed humane when compared to the definition of the UN.Show less
This thesis explores how education policies had influenced the developments of different identity formations in colonial and postcolonial Taiwan and Hong Kong. Based on findings about and analysis...Show moreThis thesis explores how education policies had influenced the developments of different identity formations in colonial and postcolonial Taiwan and Hong Kong. Based on findings about and analysis of education policies that had connections with identity formation, this thesis tries to argue that, firstly, education policies caused different identity formations (Japanese colonial, Chinese and Taiwanese identities) in colonial and postcolonial Taiwan, while education policies contributed to the formation of one single identity, the Hong Kong identity, in colonial and postcolonial Hong Kong. Secondly, consequences of the introduction of education policies on identity formations in Taiwan and Hong Kong were different.Show less
What is war to whom? The troops roaming on Java in the late seventeenth century were of all shapes and colours. Some came from Sulawesi, some from Madura; some were religious others acquisitive....Show moreWhat is war to whom? The troops roaming on Java in the late seventeenth century were of all shapes and colours. Some came from Sulawesi, some from Madura; some were religious others acquisitive. Usually they operated in small units known as war-bands led by a warlord. Despite the differences between these war-bands, many of them did gather and fight under a single banner. Often they hurdled behind overlords -sunans or sultans- who were in need for additional brawn; a competitive market of martial supply and demand resulted. The king with the most men usually won. Even the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was part of this market and relied on indigenous patrol. In 1677, the Company decided to support the Central Javanese realm called Mataram and thus landed in a diplomatic struggle for troops. This thesis wonders how VOC men reported on these warriors and what clues are given of a Javanese military labour market at odds with the European one. The Dutch commanders would soon find out drawing in allies was as important as winning battles; the extent to which they could enter the networks of warlords and rulers thereby determined much of their victory. This thesis tells how far they did in the two chaotic and bloody years of 1677 and 1678.Show less
