THE SOOK CHING MASSACRE

Photo (above) Japanese soldiers bayoneting the executed victims of the massacre to ensure that they are really dead.

The Sook Ching massacre took place three days after the fall of Singapore to the Japanese forces on 15 February 1942. It was a sixteen days campaign launched by the Japanese army to eliminate all anti-Japanese elements in the country. Many of those who were tortured and killed were ethnic Chinese who were loyal to the British or had connections to China's anti-Japanese movement (both enemies of Japan). The Japanese also routinely eliminated gang members and troublemakers in the process. In the later stage, even women and children were not spared from the Sook Ching campaign.

It is unclear as to how many people have died from this atrocity as there is a lack of accurate records. Official Japanese figures show that there are around 5,000 people killed, while the Singapore Chinese Community figures shows a shocking total of 100,000.

Till today, no official apology was made by Japan over their atrocities committed in Asia.

Click on the link below to watch a documentary about the Fall of Singapore and the Sook Ching massacre:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRS51StHJGY&noredirect=1


Photo resource: National Archives of Singapore

ACTIVITY
Do you think the Japanese should apologise for their war crimes committed in Asia, given the fact that the war took place 70 years ago? Why?


Write your answers in the comment box below.

GREETINGS FROM CHRISTMAS ISLAND, SINGAPORE

Christmas Island Coastline (source: Peter McKiernan, Perth)

Did you know that Christmas Island was once a part of Singapore? According to sources, The 135 square km island (2 hours flight from Singapore) once belonged to the British through the Straits Settlement, and later the Crown Colony of Singapore. The sovereignty of the island was later transferred to Australia in 1957, and Singapore received £2.9 million as a compensation for the so-called “amount of phosphate foregone” during the transfer.

The island was discovered in 1643 on Christmas day by Captain William Mynors of the British East India Company. At that time, the uninhabited island was already on both the British and Dutch navigational charts. It was the discovery of phosphate by naturalist, Dr. John Murray which eventually led to the annexation of the island by the British crown on 6 June 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s using workers from Singapore, Malaya and China.

Till the late 20^th Century, Phosphate mining and export (600,000 tonnes p.a.) remains the main and stable economic activity for Christmas Island. In 1987, the Australian government decided to close the mine, only to reopen it again in 1991. Interestingly, in 1993, with the support of the Australian government, a USD34 million Christmas Island Casino and Resort was opened, only to close 5 years later.

As of 2006, the estimated population of the island stands at 1,493. The ethnic composition of the island is 70% Chinese (mainly Hokkien), 20% Europeans, and 10% Malays. The main religious practices on the island are Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. The official language is English, but Chinese and Malay languages are also spoken.

EXERCISE

How do you think the 135 square km island (Sentosa is 5 square km) could be developed IF Singapore had not “sold” the island to Australia? Take into considerstion the natural resource, as well as the rich flora and fauna on the island.