According to Anthony Beevor's "The Second World War", the Japanese Military had an officer led policy of eating prisoners. Is this true, and if so why aren't people mad as hell about it?

by mrtacoswildride

He mentions it several times, and claims that Americans, Indians, Indo-Chinese and Chinese people among many others were eaten.

He also claims

  • that these acts of cannibalism were not by hungry and desperate individuals, but were an act of conscious and organized policy led by officers in the Japanese Military.
  • that prisoners of war as well as civilians were eaten
  • that Japanese units would raid civilian population centers for more people to eat
  • that some people who were eaten were first raped
  • that some people were kept (and treated) as human cattle
  • and that the allied powers chose to keep the cannibalism quiet as it was considered too distressing for the families of those who were eaten and the public at large

These are some serious -- and seriously fucked up -- allegations, so I'd love more info from historians.

Edit: More info on allegations here https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3ribf6/according_to_anthony_beevors_the_second_world_war/cwoadyo

Edit2 a clearer question with help from /u/jschooltiger

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3ribf6/according_to_anthony_beevors_the_second_world_war/cwof05n

"Why were reports of Japanese soldiers cannibalizing American POWs suppressed by the allies after WWII? And what reaction was there when the information was released?"

ParkSungJun

Can you clarify specifically where in Beevor you're pulling these allegations from? Cannibalism was definitely an issue, but some of these accusations seem extreme.

zaj209

mad as hell about it

Take this with a grain of salt and I'm hoping somebody else with more experience answers. But I'm reading Iris Changs:The Rape of Nanking. And it is stated that a lot of japan's atrocities are overlooked because the U.S. and even China wanted them as an economic ally after the war. I will try to post the quote after work. Perhaps it's something similar to that extent?

alc0

Are there instances of cannibalism occurring in the armies of the other warring states?