Life Under Japanese

-Singapore was renamed Syonan-to which meant the Light of the South or the Radiant South. -Japanese authorities implemented measures to regulate nearly every facet of the locals everyday life Mass Screening & Registration -Hunt for anti-Japanese elements began almost immediately -Many overseas Chinese in Sing. & Malaysia had supported campaigns that advocated boycotting Japanese goods, raising funds, sending war supplies and volunteering services in aid of Chinas war effort -Japanese military had plans to deal with the Allied troops -Interned the British, Australians & Allied Europeans in Singapore, including women and children. Allied soldiers were forced to march from Padang to Selarang Barracks (22km). European civilians were marched to Katong before going to Changi Prison. Sook Ching Massacre -Aimed to identify and eliminate suspected anti-Japanese elements among the Chinese community. (Chinese men between 18-50 years of age) -Those identified as anti-Japanese were taken in lorries to Changi / other beaches on the East Coast (Shot and knifed) -Between 50,000 and 100,000 were massacred after the designated 3-day operation -Japan did not regard the Indian National Army and Malay community as a threat and regarded them as pro-Japanese, hence tried to win the support of the Malays and persuaded the Indians that Japan would help free India from the British. However, anyone who disobeyed or displeased would still be punished. Some Malays were drafted for forced labour at the Death Railway camps. -Eurasians were treated harshly (Perceived as a threat) Some Eurasians were members of the Singapore Volunteer Corps and had fought against the Japanese. Many were put in prison camps. Those suspected of helping the British were put to death. -Many Chinese became victims of Japanese atrocities. (Perceived as a threat to their rule) -Japanese administrators kept check of the locals by segmenting them along racial lines. -Communal organizations were formed for the various ethnic groups (compulsory to join) -No one community was completely safe from the horrors of rape, looting, assault and beheading Kempeitai -Powerful Japanese military police which enforced military discipline (Ruthless and played a key role in rounding up anti-Japanese elements) -Could mingle freely within the community -Often relied on more hearsay to order an arrest, feared by all

-Many who were tortured by them did not survive, others died after release -People were in a constant state of anxiety and fear due to their cruelty Education & Daily Life -Education system focused on the teaching of the Japanese language culture and ideologies -Served to inculcate the Japanese spirit in the people -Incentives given to encourage mastery of the language -Necessary to be conversant in Japanese to earn a living -Technical skills emphasized to nurture ready labour for essential industries (Fishing, agriculture, health care) -Radio stations were controlled and people could only listen to local broadcasts. Those caught tuning in to foreign broadcasting stations were severely punished or killed -Aimed to remove Western influence Rationing & Black Market -Impose control over the population -Resources were scarce, severe food shortages -Each household issued with a Peace Living Certificate -Essential foodstuffs (rice, salt & sugar) were sold at high prices in the Black Market -Authorities simply printed more notes when they need money (inferior quality paper, no serial numbers, could be forged easily) -Value of the notes dropped, leading to soaring prices (hyperinflation) Health Matters -Malnutrition, starvation and ill health -Serious shortage of food Malnutrition & low immunity against diseases -Poor public health system & lack of proper housing malaria and infectious diseases -People adapted quickly and creatively, cured ailments and maintained their health by consuming traditional tonics and medical herbs POWs -More than 100,000 soldiers personnel and European civilians were rounded up -Interned mainly at the Changi camp area The Siam-Burma (Death) Railway -Diseases were rife within the camps of the 60,000 Allied POWs who labored on the Death Railway from Thailand to Burma in swamps, jungle and mountainous passes, more than 16,000 died (immune system compromised by poor nutrition and lack of sanitation facilities) Japanese Propoganda -To highlight Japanese war victories and Allied losses -Promoted Japans visions Asia for Asiatics & Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere -In cinemas, only Japanese movies and propaganda films were shown MPAJA -While some collaborated with the Japanese, others fled to the Malayan jungles to continue resisting the Japanese

-The Malayan Communist Party formed the Malayan Peoples Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) to fight against the Japanese (carry out sudden attacks on the Japanese military) -Later became Malayan Races Liberation Army (MRLA) after WWII to overthrow British colonial rule in Malaya and Singapore Force 136 (Another group aimed to help the British recapture Malaya and Sing) -Lim Bo Seng (arrested) arrested in 1944 for his anti-Japanese activities End of WWII -Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki along with the entry of Soviet Union into the war ended the Second World War in the Asia Pacific -15 August 1945, Japan announced its surrender formally, allowed the Allies to send in forces and food supplies -British military administration utilized surrendered Japanese troops as security troops to govern the island until March 1946 Return of the British -Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of Southeast Asia Communist, received the formal surrender from General Itagaki Seishiro -Formal signing of the surrender instrument for the Japanese forces in Southeast Asia held in City Hall (12 September 1945) -Followed by celebration at the Padang which included a victory parade Conclusion -Although the Japanese Occupation was officially over, it was not the end of turbulence -Infrastructure had been hit by bombing and destruction -Economy was in shambles, nearly everyone in Malaya & Singapore were penniless -People were dying of starvation & disease -Political activists were about to begin

Marianne Huang :) 2H 2012