Surrendered Enemy Personnel (SEP) is a designation for captive enemy soldiers (similar to Disarmed Enemy Forces). It was most commonly used by British forces towards German forces in Europe, and towards Japanese and associated forces in Asia after the end of World War II.
On 1 March 1947, the U.S. stated that the SEPs should be regarded as POWs and be treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.Hanrei Taimuzu (The Law Times Report) No. 703, 63. X1, X2, X3 et al. v. The State of Japan (Tokyo District Court, judgment, 1989, Case No. wa-4024, wa-8983 (1981), wa-731 (1982), wa-12166 (1985)). pp. 7,8
The designation of SEP allowed the Royal Navy to use the German command structure to facilitate the disbandment of the Kriegsmarine.Madsen, Chris. The Royal Navy and German Naval Disarmament, 1942-1947, Routledge, 1998 . p. 90
In the Malayan Emergency the UK also used the definition SEP, alongside Captured Enemy Personnel (CEP). The distinction made was that SEP were insurgents who surrendered to the British,Nagl John A. Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam: Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002 . p. 92 while Captured Enemy Personnel were not. Both designations were treated as prisoners of war.Ingrid Detter Delupis, "The Law of War" (google books p.328)
See also Disarmed Enemy Forces Japanese Surrendered Personnel Prisoner of war Laws of war
References
Further reading Surrendered Enemy Personnel (Hansard, 22 October 1946) SURRENDERED ENEMY PERSONNEL (STATUS) (Hansard, 17 June 1947)