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| Japanese Occupation | ||
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Massacre
of Chinese Populace Having gained control over Singapore on February 15, 1942, General Tomoyuki Yamashita instructed the Japanese garrison commander to round up the anti-Japanese elements. The plan, issued by the Imperial Headquarters, was to gather all Chinese males between the ages of 18 and 50 at various locations, screen them, and execute those identified as anti-Japanese. Screening centres were set up all over Singapore. Most of them were situated in areas of large Chinese populous. Among them were Java Road, Arab Street, Telok Kurau English School, St. Joseph's Institution, and Chinatown. At the Chinatown screening centre, lorries were parked nearby ready to take anti-Japanese suspects to remote locations such as Changi, Punggol and Bedok, where they were all massacred. The lucky ones were stamped with an "examined" word on their faces, arms, clothing or just pieces of paper. They were free to return home to their families afterwards. We do not know how many men were executed during the Sook Ching exercise. When the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Appeal Committee for Singapore Chinese Victims Massacred by Japanese, attempted to investigate by urging people to report deaths of family members and relatives, only 8600 were reported. Research have shown that there were many more. Whatever the number is, Sook Ching will, remain
a horrific and traumatic experience in the memory of the survivors. |
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Oral History |
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