other · Maritime Southeast Asia

Japanese occupation of British Borneo

1941 CE – 1945 CE · capital Kuching

Japanese military rule of Sarawak, Brunei, Labuan and North Borneo during the Second World War, ending in the Sandakan death marches.

Origins

Japanese forces landed at Miri in Sarawak on 16 December 1941, seeking its oilfields, and took Kuching on 24 December. Brunei, Labuan and North Borneo fell by January 1942. The former Raj of Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo were united as Kita Boruneo under the Imperial Japanese Army, with headquarters at Kuching.

Rule and society

The occupiers ran the oilfields and requisitioned food and labour, causing shortages. Chinese communities suffered reprisals, and the Jesselton revolt led by Albert Kwok in October 1943 was crushed with mass executions. Prisoners of war and civilians were held at camps such as Batu Lintang near Kuching.

Decline and legacy

In 1945 Allied prisoners at Sandakan were forced on death marches to Ranau, and only six of some 2,400 survived. Australian forces landed at Tarakan, Labuan and Brunei Bay from May to July 1945, and the Japanese surrendered in September. Britain then created the Crown Colony of Sarawak and the Crown Colony of North Borneo.

Connections (4)

  • Brunei Sultanate was conquered by Japanese occupation of British Borneo1941 CE – 1945 CE
  • Raj of Sarawak was conquered by Japanese occupation of British Borneo1941 CE – 1945 CE
  • Japanese occupation of British Borneo was part of Empire of Japan1941 CE – 1945 CE
  • North Borneo was conquered by Japanese occupation of British Borneo1942 CE – 1945 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Japanese occupation of British Borneo. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/japanese-occupation-of-british-borneo
MLA
“Japanese occupation of British Borneo.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/japanese-occupation-of-british-borneo. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Japanese occupation of British Borneo.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/japanese-occupation-of-british-borneo.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Japanese occupation of British Borneo’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/japanese-occupation-of-british-borneo (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻