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CHAP 6: What did the people in sg exp during the jap occupation - Coggle…
CHAP 6: What did the people in sg exp during the jap occupation
USING FORCE
HARSH PUNISHMENTS
The japanese saw criminals and oppositions as their enemies
E.g. to put an end to looting that happened after the British surrender, They executed those who were caught doing so
They displayed their heads publicly in pen areas to create fear and serve as a warning for the consequences if they went against the japanese
Kempeitai( the japanese military police) were in charge of arresting suspects who are anti-japanese.
Food and cash rewards were offered to encourage people to inform them of who were suspects that could be involved in anti-Japanese activities.
This caused them to not know who to trust and became suspicious of one another
Some of the Anti- japanese suspects went through beatings or tortured until they reveal information that the japanese wanted while others were imprisoned of executed
After awhile, they lived quietly as they wanted to make sure that they did not appear disobedient/ have unwanted attention
IMPRISONMENT
Allied troops weighed on the japanese minds
They imprisoned the british, australians and allied europeans in sg, including women and children - >POWS( prisoners of war)
They were forced to march in public from Bukit timah Road and changi prison and the barracks nearby, where they would be imprisoned
OPERATION SOOK CHING ( "cleansing")
aimed to identify and eliminate anti japanese elements
Kempeitai place in charge
Mostly targeted chinese as they were seen as a potential source of opposition and threat to their rule
Had a bad experience of china invading japan in 1973
E.g. boycott of japanese goods and contributed funds to chinas efforts against japan
All chinese men aged 18-50 were assembled at mass screening centres to be examined by the japanese
around 25000-50000 were killed
THE PROCESS
Informants would identify who were suspected of being anti-japanese
looking for secret society members with tatoos, former chinese civil servants and journalist
THOSE WHO PASS SCREENING - receive a stamp meaning that they have been examined to avoid further questioning by the japanese
THOSE WHO DON'T PASS THE SCREENING - stamped with a triangular mark, tied up and kept under guard. They will then later be transported to beaches to be executed
CORECION
The japanese also targeted chinese businessmen in singapore as they contributed to the china relief fund which supported china's resistance against the japanese
*OCA (the overseas chinese association) was created to act as a channel of communication between the chinese community and japanese government
Head of OCA : Dr Lim Boon Keng
They wanted to punish them for supporting anti-japanese war activities in china as well as british war efforts in malaya and sg
Demanded 50 million straits dollars to the japanese administration
WINNING LOYALTY
PROPAGANDA
was used to influence minds and gain their loyalty as they wanted to win over locals in order to establish control over sg
potrayed themselves as liberators who came to free asians from the colonial rule
convincing locals to accept their vision of the greater East asia Co-Prosperity Sphere where japan would free asian nations from control of western colonial powers and a united asia that would benefit from sharing resources collectively
this message of the propaganda was spread through posters radios and broadcasts
They tried using this propaganda to get the indian community to look upon japanese rule favourably as they even some indian immigrants were influced by the rise of anti-britisb sentiments
they promised to help free india from the british
from there the INA ( indian national army), led by Subhas Chandra Bose, was formed with the japanese help to recruit indians to fight against the british in india
HOWEVER, not all indians were allied with the japanese; many whom refuse to ally with the japanese were imprisoned
Benefits for locals
Free schooling accommodation ( school textbooks were provided to 20000 students in 1944 for free) and favourable treatment for malays
the union of malay youth or KMM( kesatuan Melayu Muda) believed that the japanese propaganda promised better lives for malays under asian power.
e.g. rice sugar and salt were distributed to poor malays for hari raya puasa AND the malays and indians were charged lower fees then the chinese to cross the causeway
Japanese culture
the japanese wanted to immerse locals in japanese culture
E.g. Teaching the Japanese Language (nippon-go)
-Lessons were conducted daly over the schools broadcasting services, japanese educational books for beginners were published and were regularly featured in newpapers
.
besides adults, adults had to undergo lessons on nippon-go too. e.g. teachers were required to attend language classes several times a week
Competition awards , extra rations, salary increments and promotions were used to motivate people to learn the Japanese promotions
Cultivating the Japanese Spirit
They were told to sing "kimigayo", the japanese national anthem, bow before the picture of the japanese emperor before the day began and were taught to sing Japanese folk songs
Daily mass exercises were broadcasted with instructions and rhythmic music on public radios as the japanese emphasised physical education to instil discipline and promote fitness
selected youths also received training in japanese martial arts such as kendo and judo