How were the Australian prisoners of war treated by the Japanese?

In general, the Japanese had a strong disdain for prisoners of war.  Culturally speaking, the Japanese did not believe in surrender or capture, so they looked down on the prisoners of war that were under their care.  During World War II, the Japanese were notorious for their brutal treatment of prisoners of war, regardless of their origins.  Over 22,000 Australian prisoners were captured during the war.  Eight thousand died under the supervision of the Japanese. Most died of malnutrition and were treated with brutality and malice.  The Japanese also used Australian prisoners of war to build rail lines in different locations throughout their Pacific Empire.  Over a thousand prisoners of war perished on ships that were accidentally torpedoed by the Allies.  This happened because the vessels were unmarked and the Allies did not realize prisoners were on board.