Shingapōru Daikenshō (シンガポール大検証) meaning "great inspection of Singapore" took placed from 18 February to 4 March 1942 at various places around Singapore. The locals have another term for this event, it is known as the Sook Ching massacre (肅清大屠殺). The Chinese term "Sook Ching" means "to purge through cleansing". Similar to how the Nazis rounded up the Jews for persecution in Poland during WWII, this was a systematic extermination of anti-Japanese Chinese in Singapore by the Japanese soldiers.
According to history scholars, this purge was believed to have been planned even before the Japanese troops landed in Singapore. Its purpose was to to remove any anti-Japanese elements and to frighten the locals in order to swiftly impose military administration to the country. The Japanese knew that there were many locals such as Eurasians who had strong loyalty to Britain, as well as Chinese who supported the Chinese National Revolution Army from the Republic of China at that time. The Japanese military authorities, led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita decided upon a policy of exterminating those who had strong anti-Japanese sentiments.
"Screening centers" were set up all over Singapore to "screen" all Chinese males between the ages of 18 to 50. Sometimes, even women and children were inspected as well. Those who did not report to the screening centers were hunted down after a door-to-door search of each household. The Kempeitai or Japanese military police's inspection process were often indiscriminate and non-standardised. Many times, they would simply rely on hooded informants to weed out the anti-Japanese suspects. Those who passed the screening process would receive a paper bearing the word "jian" meaning "examined" in Chinese, or have a square ink mark stamped on their arms or shirts. Those who failed the inspection would be packed into trucks and sent to killing sites to exterminated
There were several sites for these killings. The more notorious sites were Changi, Punggol and Sentosa beaches. Many of the victims were shot or bayoneted (jabbed with a long knife attached to their military rifles) by the Kepeitai in cold blood. Not all the victims were male. According to eyewitness accounts at that time, even women and children were among those killed. The figures of death toll varies according to who is reporting it. Official Japanese statistics indicate a figure of less than 5000, while locals claimed as many as 100,000 people were massacred from this event.
References cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sook_Ching_massacre
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/about_us/history/world_war2/v04n02_history.html
EXERCISE:
Describe how you felt (in your role as a Chinese/Indian/Malay/Allied POWs/Japanese) during the re-enactment of the Sook Ching incident. (Write a 3-4 sentence answer in the comment box below. Remember to include your Class and Register Number.)
Suggested Activity:
Take a nice evening stroll along the Civilian War Memorial site near City Hall and reflect on the peace and stability that you are enjoying in Singapore today.
The Japanese treated the Chinese very mercilessly. They were punished severely, tortured and killed those who were suspected as anti-Japanese. The Japanese were brutal and harsh. The people lived through fear. Life was miserable, sufferings and starvations during the Japanese Occupation.
ReplyDeleteS2/7(6)
The Japanese treated the Chinese very mercilessly. They were punished severely, tortured and killed to those who were suspected as anti-Japanese. The Japanese were brutal and harsh. Life was miserable, suffering and sttarvations during the Japanese occupation.
ReplyDelete2/7-06
It felt powerful and strong to be a Japanese solider . Like you could do anything to anyone and no one could stop you.
ReplyDeleteIt felt powerful and almighty to be a Japanese solider . It was as if you could do anything you want to them and getting away scot free.
ReplyDelete2/7-21
I was being treated unfairly because i was a Chinese. I felt that the life was very tough during the Japanese occupation. We don't know whether would there still tomorrow, because our lives were based on the Japanese soldiers' mood. If their mood is good they would just anyhow picked a number(it was also based on you luck), if not maybe they would said all is killed. So, we seriously cannot estimate whether was there tomorrow, and i really hates this kind of feelings!
ReplyDeleteKUA KAi TAN (2o)
ReplyDeleteAs a Chinese, we were treated unfairly, we would not know whether was there a tomorrow for us. I really hate this kind of feelings! I hate to be living in fear!
2/7-20
ReplyDeleteAs a Chinese,i hate to lived in fear, not knowing whether was there a tomorrow for us. I hate to have this kind of feeling, because we know that Japanese hates Chinese.
S2/7-20
ReplyDeleteAs a Chinese, we lived in fear everyday during Japanese Occupation. i hated this kind of feeling, I hate to lived in fear! but what can we do? We are restless because Japanese got the power of controlling us!
I role played as the Chinese, it was frightening when the soldiers suddenly stopped as and asked us to line up in a straight row. then, were asked to hand over our passes but i did not have one. Although i knew it was serious i just could not stop smiling but it was very scary when the soldiers start to shove you around and screaming at you. I felt somewhat relieved when they let me pass but then we had to line up again and was jealous o the other people sitting down. we did role call numbers 1 and 2 the numbers 1 could sit down and the rest where killed. The Japanese really despised the Chinese,as the just killed everyone even though they were Innocent.
ReplyDeleteSTEPHANIE RAE YOONG HUI XUAN 28 CLASS:2/8
Wang Phanee Ruby (34)
ReplyDeleteAs a Chinese , i felt very scared , angry and hated the
Japanese for being extremely unfair and cruel to the Chinese .
I felt that their aim was to kill most of the Chinese as
only very few lucky ones would survive ,the others were killed .
Wang Phanee Ruby (34)
ReplyDeleteAs a Chinese , i felt very scared , angry and hated the
Japanese for being extremely unfair and cruel to the Chinese .
I felt that their aim was to kill most of the Chinese as
only very few lucky ones would survive ,the others were killed .
During the role play ,my race was a chinese . As a chinese , I felt really afriad as suddenly the japanese soliders gathered as together to check our idenity.The Malalys and Indians had pass the examination and all the chinese were brought to be examined again . I felt very scared as you might not know whether you would be lucky enough to survive . One of the chinese was idenitfied as a spy and was force to idenify the other spies. But he just chose innocent people randomly.but just in case they numbered the chinese out and those whom were called out were to put to death.During that experience , I felt how the chinese feared everyday . Thinking if they were to die without doing anything wrong. During that time they could only pray to be lucky ones to survive.(2/8-25)
ReplyDeleteAs a Chinese, I was definitely worried as my family and I were definitely in danger, I was afraid I would not live to see tomorrow and I was overcome with fear, I saw how my friends and neighbours got tortured and it left me wondering, "Am I going to be next?" It certainly scared me.
ReplyDeleteMATHILDA HUANG, 2/8.
Nicole lim 2/8
ReplyDeleteI role played an allied solider and the feeling i got when i was called to the side with the other allied soldiers was terrifying because you didn't know what was going to happen next. After gathering all the allied soldiers we were told to march. I obviously felt jealous of those who were set free. We were killed upon arrival to changi.
I was playing a Chinese. I felt very scared as it was a normal day when suddenly a Japanese soldier shouted at everyone to line up in a row and asked us for our identity card. When i did not have any identity card i felt very scared. Some chinese were spared and some were killed.
ReplyDeleteI was treated badly and ordered to march 22km to the Changi Prison. When i didn't march properly, the Japanese soldiers would scream and hit us. It wasn't scary as it was just a role play but if it really happened to me in reality, i'll feel scared.
ReplyDeleteMadeline Tan (30) 2/8.
I acted as a Chinese during history. When a guy picked people who were 'spies' from the straight line it felt really scary. I was thinking, 'don't pick me!!' at that moment, I felt what people in the past felt. But everyone is innocent. Those who were picked had to kneel down, they knew they are going to meet death. And when the chief counted '1, 2..' number 2s were free to go but number 1s had to die. i was let off. i felt really lucky. It's all about luck in the past. The Japanese at that time are really cruel.
ReplyDelete2/8 -Meredith (19)
2/8-04
ReplyDeleteAs a Chinese, I hated the Japanese. It was just a normal day when suddenly, the Japanese soldiers came shouting at us to stand in a straight line. I was asked to take out my identification card and was asked to stand with a group of Eurasians and Chinese people. The Indians and Malays were freed and I felt that the Japanese were unfair. The Eurasians and Chinese were asked to stand in a straight line again and a man with a cloth over his head came and randomly picked out the 'anti-japanese' I felt scared because the man couldn't see who he was picking and he may have picked out innocent people to be killed.
I was a Chinese during the play.When I saw the Japanese Soldiers asking for the locals' race, I was terrified because i saw that only the malays and indians were set free. When we, the chinese were called back, I was curious but also scared about what will happen next. Then, one of the locals randomly pointed out the ''anti-japanese''.I felt accused when the Japanese Soldier just summoned his army for the few of us to be killed.
ReplyDelete2/8 (32)
As a chinese, i felt unsatisfied and angry by the way my race was treated. I felt that we were all humans, different only inside but same on the outside, thus, we should be treated all the same. The Japanese should have looked for the person who irritated or disobeyed them instead of putting all the blame on people who are the same race as them. The sookching process that we experienced made me understand the torture that our forefathers went through, not being able to talk back and the harsh torture.
ReplyDelete(2/7-29) GN~