Commemorating the Singapore Massacre

Japanese "Great Inspection Certificate" in Singapore

The following is Mr. Huang Tianyou's account. "After the Japanese army occupied Singapore, before people could clean up the ruins and bury the bodies of those killed by the Japanese army, 1942 From mid-February to early March, the invading army divided Singapore into four' inspection areas'. The area where I was "inspected" is called the water inspection certificate center, which is the area where the Imperial Japanese Guards and Gendarmerie are responsible for "inspection". Japanese soldiers drove 12 ~ 60-year-old male residents to various households, and each person was limited to five days of food and concentrated in designated areas. The "Certificate Inspection" center is in Haishan Street. The six surrounding streets are surrounded by barbed wire, surrounded by tanks and Japanese soldiers. "

"My brother-in-law, Ye, with me who just turned 15, entered the' inspection' area with anger and fear. The weather is hot, the environment is noisy and people are crowded. Everyone is sweating, and it is extremely difficult to take a shower and urinate. Early in the morning, people are waiting for "inspection". Japanese soldiers are not allowed to line up, only allowed to squat on the ground. Chaos is inevitable in the crowd. When people are scrambling, Japanese soldiers will hit them with sticks and hit them on the head. We are a thin generation, and of course we dare not rashly participate in the crowded crowd. "

"Before I entered the examination room, my brother-in-law told me to be calm. As a last resort, we had to fight with Japanese soldiers. With this psychological preparation, I am much calmer. We were not nervous when we stood at the small table and were inspected by the Japanese army. The Japanese army stamped a piece of paper, and we waved and walked out of another door with a piece of paper. On the note covered with stamps are printed the words: In the seventeenth year of Showa, I "inspected" Lieutenant General Toyotomi Yamashita, commander of the Great Japanese Imperial Army.

"When people walked out of the gate with this note, there was another Japanese leader sitting in the concierge besides a Japanese sentry. With a wave of his hand, he let people go and instructed them to take a street home; Or with a wave of his other hand, order people to climb into the big truck parked on the street corner. All the people who got on the truck were able-bodied people, who were transported to the seaside in Changi or Bangor, Singapore, and collectively shot. Singapore, with a population of less than 1 million, was killed by 50 thousand people. "

"In the street where I live, three young people were' checked' into the truck. One of them didn't die, but sneaked back and hid for a long time. They didn't dare to show up until the Japanese surrendered. One of the two people killed was married, leaving behind an old mother and a newly-married pregnant wife. The old mother wept bitterly and died with hatred. The wife gave birth to a posthumous child, and the mother and son lived a miserable life. Another victim left his fiancee and lived in Lacrimosa all day. The Japanese went to Indonesia to take young Javanese to work in Singapore. When they got sick, they drove them out of the concentration camp and starved them to death on the streets. This is the so-called' liberation' and' moral politics' of the Japanese aggressors. "

The following is another survivor's account.

"That year I was 2 1 year-old, unmarried, living in a rubber plantation (near Zhong Yi, Fujian) and tapping rubber for a living. At 6 o'clock in the morning of March 26th, a large group of Japanese troops broke into the town, forcing all 200 or 300 adult men in the town to gather on the basketball court opposite the school and stand waiting for "identification" (screening). Also ordered to concentrate were Yin Chunchu, president of Xinghua School, Zhu Jifu, director of the Academic Affairs Office, and Huang Huosheng, a teacher. The devil ordered the man to take off his coat and shorts and squat down in rows on the court in his underwear. From sunbathing in the morning to four or five in the afternoon. The devils surrounded the stadium, some with guns to monitor, and some with long swords to pace back and forth. Five or six soldiers are responsible for examining men's bodies. It is said that the devil will check this person's body for tattoos, especially at the gap between his thumb and forefinger. The devil thinks that tattoos are private parties, and private parties are anti-Japanese. "

"When the devil came to him and was checking the man next door, he suddenly took the man away. His heart beat so hard that he thought he would die this time. He said that when he was inspected, the clothes he was holding were only covered by the corners of the clothes, which had been worn out before, and the tattoos of black flowers were no longer obvious. The devil didn't notice and ran to the next door. I escaped from the door of death, but I was not released, but was dragged into school again. After that, they lined up for questioning one by one. I dare not go out first, and I won't go out until there are twenty or thirty people left at last. Luckily, I passed the customs smoothly. It was not until the evening that he was finally put home. I immediately entered Samba to escape. "

"As a result, 15 people were detained, including three teachers. They are locked up in the school. The next day, the principal was taken to the Taiping Gendarmerie Department and tortured. The remaining 14 people were taken out of the village in the early morning of the third day and went to Sanhe Mine and Hehexing Mine near Shalai North Station not far away (now next to the high-voltage electric tower). Japanese soldiers stabbed 14 people with bayonets. The tragic cries resounded through the sky and even the village heard them. "

"How do you expect, in the process of assassination, there may be a person who has not been tied, broke free from the rope and suddenly started to run, rushed to the mine lake and jumped, and escaped under the cover of darkness. He is Zhu Jifu, the academic director who can swim at the age of 40. "

"13 body was buried in situ by Indians the next day. It was not until after the war that relatives went to mass graves to collect bones. Because they can't be distinguished, they are all buried together in the present tomb site. And the principal who was tortured to death, his bones disappeared, and the villagers carved his name on the tablet. His relative Wangka is also one of the martyrs. " "My family moved to Kampong Malaya for more than three years before moving back to Shagaibei after peace." Monument to the victims of Japanese occupation

There is a small but important park-War Memorial Park on Beach Road in downtown Singapore. The monument to the people who died during the Japanese occupation is located in this park. As the name implies, the monument is to commemorate the people of all ethnic groups in Singapore who were persecuted to death during the three years and six months of Japanese occupation of Singapore in 1942- 1945, most of whom were overseas Chinese.

The idea of building a memorial for those who died during the Japanese occupation began with 1962. This year, the remains of the victims of the Japanese occupation were found in many places in Singapore. The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce in Singapore couldn't bear to let these remains scattered in the wilderness, so on February 28th, it set up a Committee for the Rehabilitation of the Remains of the Victims during the Japanese Occupation, which was responsible for exploration, excavation and burial. Under the auspices of former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, the monument was unveiled on February 2005 1967.

In his speech, Lee Kuan Yew said that this monument marks an experience and lesson. It always reminds people that when they are unprepared for future things and development, any terrible disaster may come. "Only when we learn from painful experiences, learn from history seriously and consolidate our future wisely and bravely will many of our dead compatriots not die in vain." Since then, on this day every year, people will hold mourning activities here.

In the distance, you can see a 70-meter-high monument towering into the sky. Four white cone-shaped stone pillars form a huge cone-shaped stone tower, which is inserted into the blue sky, symbolizing the suffering and spirit shared by Chinese, Malays, Indians and Europeans and Asians in Singapore. The monument is surrounded by clear water, and the north and south sides of the square pedestal are divided into four sides by stone steps, which are written in four words: "Monument to the People who died during the Japanese occupation 1942- 1945". Walk along the stone steps, cross the pool and come to the center of the monument. There is an inscription on each of the four stone pillars, which records the beginning and end of the monument. In the middle of the whole building, there is a square stone platform half a person high, with inscriptions in different languages on all sides. The Chinese part reads:

"1February 1942 15 to1August 1945 18, the Japanese army occupied Xinjiapo, and countless civilians were killed. It took more than 20 years to converge the remains, rebury them here, and erect a monument to mourn forever. "

Thousands of bones killed by the Japanese army found in the valley outside Singapore in the early 1960s are buried under the monument, and these bones are buried there. 1937 after the outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, many anti-Japanese campaigns and disaster relief activities were launched in Singapore, Malaysia and other places. Among them, Mei and Liang Houzhou (aka) actively participated in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. The former was killed in the great purge, while the latter organized villagers to support China's war of resistance. 35 members of his family were killed by the Japanese army and escaped. This year marks the 70th anniversary of World War II. The reporter specially interviewed the descendants of Mei and Liang Houzhou to recall this long-lost past, so that future generations can see the glory of their predecessors, remember history and cherish the happiness now.

An interview with the descendants of Mei and Liang Houzhou —— Recalling the deeds of the anti-Japanese heroes

The years have passed, and 70 years have passed. How many people still remember that in that war-torn era, how many people embarked on the road of resistance to Japan for justice, for the nation, for the country and for their homeland? How many people died tragically under the Japanese artillery fire or butcher knife?

1937 after the outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, among the numerous literary and artistic movements formed by Singapore and Malaysia, drama was the most appealing. Various dialect groups responded enthusiastically, including Guangdong Gang and Mei, a representative of the business community, who appeared as BLACKPINK and personally participated in the drama performance to raise money for disaster relief. During the examination, May was executed for refusing to confess. Mei's life story is little known until her family recently published a memorial notice in this newspaper, which attracted people's attention. The unfortunate ones include Liang Houzhou. Liang Houzhou, a pioneer who made great contributions to the development of Lincuo Port, was killed by the Japanese army, and only he and five other family members survived. If the Singapore Museum of History had not recently received a batch of historical relics donated by Liang Houzhou's descendants, I believe this tragic event would have vanished with the passage of time.

1March 6, 942, Mei was taken to the Japanese Gendarmerie by a friend. He looked depressed when he came home that day. The next morning, he reported to the gendarmerie and never came back. After the fall of Singapore, the Japanese army launched a brutal massacre to eliminate anti-Japanese elements. At that time, the headquarters of the YMCA in Stamford Road was changed to the Japanese Gendarmerie Department, where the Japanese Gendarmerie used torture to deal with anti-Japanese elements. According to the records in Historical Materials of China's Anti-Japanese War in Singapore and Malaysia, Mei was one of the targets named for investigation. Mei Baojian, Mei's eldest son, said that after his father left a sentence "No harm", he hurried on the bus and left. Afterwards, he learned from his friends that his father was unwilling to confess and was tortured to death.

If you can't sing or act, you have to go on stage and say a few words.

Mei, 1896, a native of Taishan, Guangdong, went south with her father at the age of 9. During the Anti-Japanese War, he was honorary president of Epiphyllum Mirror Shadow Charity Drama Club and a member of Haitian Entertainment Club. From 65438 to 0937, after the Lugouqiao Incident on July 7th, Chinese communities all over Southeast Asia set up fund-raising meetings to help refugees from the motherland join in anti-Japanese activities. The local Chinese society is not backward, and almost all kinds of entertainment are used. Amateur drama club members also participated in the anti-Japanese disaster relief, among which Haitian Recreation Club and Epiphyllum Mirror Shadow Charity Drama Club were established in 19 13 and 1920 respectively. These two societies mostly take actions to raise funds for resisting Japan and saving the nation.

Mei Baojian (89) said in an interview with this newspaper: "My father once said that China refugees are suffering, and they were displaced because of the war. Father can't sing or act, but he will also go on stage and say a few words to help raise money. " On one occasion, Haitian Entertainment Society performed a Cantonese opera "The Story of Lu Bu and Diusim" to raise money for China refugees, and Mei also played Dong Zhuo. Now, this stills are displayed in Sun Yat-sen Nanyang Memorial Hall and Sun Yat-sen World War II Historical Materials Exhibition Hall. Mei is also one of the representatives of Xinghua Relief Society. This newspaper once reported that in a proposal for the first meeting of the wartime British women and children relief conference, it was clearly recorded that Mei was one of dozens of representatives from various regions and dialects who attended the conference. Mei Baojian said that his father is the general manager of xinghua city Fund-raising Association.

Enthusiastic about public welfare and education.

During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, Mei Baojian was already a teenager. In his memory, his father seldom mentioned his activities outside with his family, but he remembered that his father had contact with Wu Tiecheng, and the details were unknown. Wu Tiecheng was the Minister of Overseas Department of the Kuomintang Central Committee in China. 1939, he was ordered to contact Southeast Asian countries, solicit donations from overseas Chinese, and fund the Anti-Japanese War. When Mei Qikang left, he left his wife from Xiao Jiu, while Mei Baojian, who ranked second among the eight brothers and sisters, was only 16 years old. In Mei Baojian's mind, his father is a loyal and unyielding righteous man, generous. In addition to actively participating in anti-Japanese activities, he is also very enthusiastic about public welfare and education.

The information about Mei is scattered and limited. Relatively complete information can only be found in the World War II historical materials exhibition hall of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Sun Yat-sen Nanyang Memorial Hall in Sun Yat-sen Garden in Singapore and Mei Baojian's oral history in the National Archives, not much. As for Mei Qi Kang's other contribution record, it is almost zero. Thanks to Mei Baojian, although she is old, she speaks clearly and thinks clearly. According to his memory, the reporter found some clues, and finally rummaged through some related materials from the publications of Mei Runantang, such as the genealogy department of our library, the 80th anniversary special issue of Guanghui Liu Zhao Hospital, the 50th anniversary special issue of the Sports Association, the 70th anniversary album of the Sports Association, the centennial tree people, the grand view of Singapore-Canada Association, etc., and pieced them together to have a clearer understanding of Mei.

(Excerpted from Lianhe Zaobao) ■ Memorial to the Coleridge Martyrs

■ Elizabeth Park Martyrs Monument

■ Tomb of Major General Lin for a living

■ Old Ford Motor Factory

■ Monument to the victims during the Japanese occupation.

■ Changi Prison Museum

■ Alexandria Hospital