History notes Secondary 2

Own history notes (˶˃ ⤙ ˂˶) WAR IS OVERRR A2!! LET'S GO PURE SCIENCE STREAM WITH GEO BYE HISTORY I NEVER WANT TO SEE U AGAINN Chapter 6: What did the people in Singapore experience during the Japanese Occupation? Summary of the Chapter The British surrender began on 15 February 1942 and lasted until 12 September 1945 It was a period of great hardships for the majority of the population. Almost every aspect of life, such as food, education and labour, was heavily controlled and regulated by the Japanese. The people of SG => lacked resources, and there was constant fear and hopelessness. How did the Japanese establish control in Singapore? -Using force -Winning loyalty —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ USING FORCE => Meting out harsh punishments imprisoning Allied soldiers Carrying out Operation Sook Ching Coercing the Chinese business community WINNING LOYALTY => Using propaganda Providing benefits to the Locals Imposing Japanese culture Meting out harsh punishments The Japanese punished criminals or anyone whom they considered enemies harshly. They wanted to use these harsh punishments to create fear and serve as severe warnings to discourage people from committing crimes or going against them. For example, The Japanese executed those who were caught for looting. Their heads were displayed publicly in places such as the open area outside the Cathay building and on bridges across the Singapore River. One group that many people feared above all was the Kempeitai, the Japanese military police. The Kempeitai would arrest anyone suspected of being anti-Japanese. They would offer rewards such as food and cash to the people to encourage them to inform the authorities of whom they suspected of being involved in anti-Japanese activities. As a result, nobody knew whom to trust and people became suspicious of each other. After they caught the anti-Japanese suspects, they would torture or beat them up until they gave them the information they wanted. Some anti-Japanese suspects were imprisoned or executed.

Imprisoning Allied soldiers The Japanese imprisoned the British, Australians and Allied Europeans, including women and children, when they took control of Singapore. These Allied prisoners of War (POWs) were forced to march in public from Bukit Timah Road to Changi Prison and the barracks nearby. Many civilians offered food and money to the POWs despite the risk of being punished by the Japanese soldiers. Carrying out Operation Sook Ching The Japanese soon carried out Operation Sook Ching after taking control of Singapore. It was aimed to identify and eliminate anti-Japanese elements among the local population. It was a brutal purge of members of the Chinese community who were suspected of being anti-Japanese The Chinese population was targeted as they were viewed by the Japanese as a potential source of opposition and threat to their rule. This was because when the Japanese invaded China in 1937, they faced strong resistance from the Chinese, including Chinese communities living outside of China. For instance, the Chinese community in SIngapore called for a boycott of Japanese goods and contributed funds to China’s efforts against Japan. Some even returned to China to join in the fight against the Japanese. In this operation, all Chinese men aged 18-50 must come for a mass screening by the Japanese that were located in different places such as the former Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) building at Stamford Road which was also the headquarters of the Kempeitai East District Branch. The process: -Each of them would be interrogated by a Japanese officer. -The officer would be accompanied by informants who would look out for secret society members with tattoos, former Chinese civil service servants and journalists and identify them as anti-Japanese suspects. -These people were thought to have stronger links with China and would show resistance to the Japanese . -Those who were identified as anti-Japanese would receive a triangular mark. -They would be tied up and heavily guarded by the Japanese. -They would transport them to Punggol or Changi beaches to be executed. *The Japanese records show about 6000 people being killed during this operation. However other records show the figure to be between 25000 and 50000* -Those who were NOT identified as anti-Japanese would receive a stamp on a piece of paper, clothing, face, arm or shoulder and were allowed to go home.

Coercing the Chinese Business Community The Japanese also targeted the Chinese businessmen in Singapore because of their generous contributions to the China Relief Fund, which supported China’s resistance against Japan. The Japanese government and the Chinese community set up the Overseas Chinese Association (OCA) as a channel of communication between them. Dr Lim Boon Keng was appointed as head of OCA. The Japanese demanded that the OCA gift 50 million strait dollars to the Japanese administration as a punishment for the Chinese community supporting anti-Japanese war activities in China as well as British war efforts in Malaya and Singapore. WINNING LOYALTY —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using propaganda —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Japanese used propaganda to influence the minds of the local people and gain their loyalty. The Japanese portrayed themselves as liberators who had come to free Asians from colonial rule. They tried to convince the locals to accept their vision of the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere in which Japan would free Asian nations from the control of the Western colonial powers. There would be a united Asia that shared resources collectively to benefit one another. These messages were spread through various channels such as posters and radio broadcasts. Propaganda images such as posters, photographs, and postcards. They wanted to establish themselves as the leaders in Asia. It was to gain power and dominance. By being able to control Asia, Japan would have access to natural resources such as oil, rubber and tin. With these resources, Japan would be assured of their status and power as well as the survival of their own country *Add in information at the back* Providing benefits The Japanese offered some benefits to the locals, such as free education and accommodation, to win local support. For example: They provided school textbooks free of charge to 20,000 students in 1944.

*add in information