According to Hsien Loong, the Syonan Gallery was to ‘evoke that dark and traumatic period in Singapore’s history’. In my view this episode evoked more than that. Within a matter of two days, Singaporeans were given a history lesson that they would not forget. I don’t think the school text books and lessons could be told in such personal and dramatic way to touch the raw nerves of the people, young and old. Many old wounds were opened, many old and painful memories were invoked for those who suffered, their children and closed ones to feel the pain once more. It was hurting to many of the victims.
How’s that for achieving the task of evoking the horrific and traumatic period of a forgotten chapter of our history? But more, many old stories of betrayals were retold and some crying out for blood. Many of the younger generations would not have known of the hideous past, of hooded men acting as informers to betray the victims that were eventually led to their death in the hands of the butchers, the Kempeitai and the Japanese Imperial Army. Many would now get to refresh their memories of how heinous were the crimes of the barbaric Japanese invaders.
A big thank you for this timely reminder to arouse the anger and hate for the Japanese invaders of our country. Many would have forgotten and would love everything Japanese. Many stories are being retold in the social media. Now anything Japanese would come with a distaste. Some may want to ‘pui’ and would look at the Japanese more closely to see the evil lurking behind that disarming smile and that polite bow.
This is a good way to learn history and to relive history, to remind the millennial not to take things at face value. Know your past, know your history and be wiser for your own good. The past cannot be forgotten. This unintended result is the only good thing coming out from this dreadful episode. Now the name Syonan can be dumped into history and good riddance.
In Sinkieland's history, there r 2 renowned figures known in Syoknan times, there r the Old Fart Harry & the other is the Prata Ah NehThan ; there 2 r greatly known as The Collaborators of the Japs Kempetai soldiers & there r remembered & even collected millions of dollars from Sinkies well lived & super wealthy betrayal to their own clan . The WWII hero of Sinkieland one of the widely known hero who sacrificed his life was the then Lim Bo Seng, but he wasn't as well known to the young unlike the 2 collaborators...history & time will tell the good & the evil in future generations .
ReplyDeleteCollaborators need not to die, this is the path to take. That s what reminding syonan all about. Its always the choice: for you or for me. Politicians choose for me first. Me want millions and millions dollars before me. Me wan lots of people for me to rule. For you, no water, not enough, you dont drink. For you, you dont need jobs, give the jobs to foreigners first. For you, enemies are your problem, not for me.
ReplyDeleteSyonan is the reflection of your thought. You need to make choice. Die now or die later. Die later can be millionaire of you are mean and street smart enough.
Did the gallery exhibit the picture of the expired ex-president standing smiling together with the commander of the Japanese Imperial Army ?
ReplyDeleteWhen I recall the Japanese wanton atrocities against humanity especially against he Chinese people my heart's feelings is like the ravaging tumultuous sea waves crying for revenge. I begin to think that one day the world must rightfully and posthumously charge Emperor Hirohito
ReplyDeleteas the number one vilest war criminal and then abolish the criminal Japanese Royal family and system permanently. This will be followed by recharging all the Class One criminals especially those of Unit 731 who had been shamefully let off by US for her own selfish national interest. The decendants of these war criminals who persistently refuse to admit their forebears war crimes and still persistently continue to build up Japanese military war machines against the forbiddence by the United Nations treaty signed and agreed by the world and Japan after the Second World War must be indicted and charged for planning further war crimes in future. In view of this the devilish looking Abe whose paternal and maternal grandfathers who were also war criminals must be arrested forthwith and together with his accomplices must be charged before a United Nations court of justice for planning more criminal wars in future. US should be charged for complicity in the Japanese war crimes against humanity for covering up Japanese war crimes and letting off hundreds of the war criminals for its own interest. US has trampled on justice and in doing so it is just as guilty as the Japanese war criminals. The Chinese people will never forget this and must one day set the record straight.
Southernglory 1
Sunday, 5th March, 2017
ReplyDeleteTill today,we still have unhooded men and women Por lamparing the new generation Kempetai and their Yamashitai.
These are the Grass Loots, grass Rots who sponged on the blood and sweat of their fellow citizens.
Likewise the 70% Dafts who loved to be under another Soyanan
The Chinese people will never forget this and must one day set the record straight.
ReplyDeleteMarch 05, 2017 10:52 am
When we put up statutes of Singaporean World War Two heroes like Adnan Saidi, Lim Boh Seng and Elizabeth Choy ... then I believe you.
Stop and think.
Why doesn't the PAP government do this?
Rb, lucky now the Korean products are better than the Japanese. In the past, I bought Japanese cars, tv, audio, fridges, air con, computers, washing machines etc all Japanese Brand’s for ages since I started working. Now I have switched everything to Korean Brands and a bit on western brands. I don't own a single Japanese product any more!
ReplyDeleteAt the back of syonan gallery is the Japanese war dead shrine at hill top, burned down, what a waste. The collaborators decedents should rebuild the shrine for the young to remember the Japanese war dead, and visit the syonna gallery. This pair will complete the revival of syonan time, how the Japanese scarified their lives for syonna hahaha.
ReplyDeleteWhat China Done Right
ReplyDeleteIntroduction
What China done right and Singapore failed miserably is the emphasis on Nationalism to grow and share the economic pie.
Singapore seems to have wasted the precious first twenty-five years of nationhood spent upon nation-building, national education, national pledge, national unity and national progress through her change of callous and reckless emphasis on implementing unsustainable policies to support foreign investors and foreign talents, instead of home-grown dedicated, hardworking and loyal local-born Singaporeans, especially the 1.5 million she started off with in 1965.
Death of Nationalism
Instead of "black or white cat as long as it can catch the rat", Singapore for the last twenty-five years or so has been opening the flood-gate of immigration to torrentially pour in all sorts of "cat-eat-cat cats and dog-eat-dog dogs, together with fake degree swines and snakes", year after year without respite. So, much so the local population of 1.5 million in 1965 has increased to 3 million (including more than half a million new citizens converted from foreigners, mostly from 3rd world villages such as Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam), but the foreigner population of less than 0.5 million rapidly increased to 3 million and counting.
This huge influx of foreigners - low-grade cheap labourers, temporary work-permit holders, MNC employers and supporting staff, filthy rich investors and their families with Killer-Ferraris, law-flouting, parasitic permanent residents and unwilling-to-assimilate-speaking-loudly-in-own-native-languages new citizens - has not only caused a rat-race in the local job markets, deprived locals of lucrative jobs and businesses, reduced the quality of life of many local bread-winners and their families, but also destabilized the fundamental physical and social fabrics of the whole society, in terms of over-stressing and weakening its infrastructure, increasing inflation rapidly on prices of basic necessities such as water, food and transportation, multiplying the racial problems and imbalance, expanding religious intolerence and disharmony, increasing discriminations and hate crimes, diluting and disrupting the efforts of nation-building.
Instead of emphasising and focusing on the creation, development and progress of home-grown industries and commercial enterprises, open-arm policies with the enticing tax incentives have overwhelmingly enabled Multi-National-Corporations (MNCs) to take root, grow and flourish, and to mercilessly compete against, stifle and wipe out many up-and-coming locally-grown small and medium cottage industries with ease.
Lob-sided Sharing of Economic Pie
Moreover, instead of spreading the economic pie to all the citizens fairly, only a few fat cats at the top of the pyramid enjoy the biggest pieces of the economic pie in the form of fat salaries and fat annual bonuses, as high as 14 months.
From No Debts To Huge Debts
During the Asian financial crisis in 1997-98, Singapore Govt pledged a total of S$23.3 billion as part of a Resilience Package to allow the country to recover. Simultaneously, there was a significant rise in inflation. The Monetary Authority of Singapore responded by strengthening the Singapore Dollar Band against foreign currencies. Following Singapore’s recovery and GDP growth, inflation steadily increased at the rate of at least 4% p.a., until 2012.
The Resilience Package partly resulted in a soaring Debt/GDP Ratio. Before the financial crisis, the Debt/GDP Ratio never went above 100%. Demand for investment and consumption stimulated the Singapore’s economy to ease its policies in order to restore market confidence. Since then, the Debt/GDP Ratio has never returned to previous levels.
Singapore's total external debt reached $1.76 trillion by 3 Nov 2015, 9th position in the world, above China, HK, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan.
Continues .....
ReplyDeleteWah piang S$1.76 trillion debts and still wants to have a training state lite town especially for urban fighting FBU at 900 millions.
Monies too much don't know how to spend. Kept sucking the blood and eat the flesh from its citizens.
Hiam lou ka chey
@ Virgo
ReplyDeleteWhat is the real problem here?
- reckless spending of our money by the PAP government?
- or reckless voting for the PAP by 70% of the daft Singaporeans?
- any other possibilities?
My late parents told me many time that they had to hide the whole family in the Malayan rubber plantation the moment Japanese soldiers approach our village. They rape young village girls and bayonet babies, especially the Chinese. Now we pay homage to people who worked for the Japanese invaders. Ironic isn't it?
ReplyDelete"Wah piang S$1.76 trillion debts and still wants to have a training state lite town especially for urban fighting FBU at 900 millions. "
ReplyDeleteNot to worry. Reserves can pay off. U see singapore s garmen debt is above 100% gdp. So its around S$400billions, as GDP is around S$360billions, aga aga.
So the 1.76 trillions will have 1760billion -376billion= 1400billions as private debts.
Private debts dont need to pay if cannot pay lah. Let the banks write off the debts. One bank got 900+mil in 3 mths, but 400+million bad debt or dont need to pay debts.
Let say each bank take 400billions debts. Dont need to pay debt can be very little only: 1 month about 110mil dont need to pay.
1year is about 1.32billion per bank baddebt.
3 banks only 3.9billions write off. If loans are 10 years, only 39 billions write off bad debt, Ok lah. Get in more billionaires to let go the money here, retailers will boom, property will boom, sinkies broke only, no big deal to elites increase salary and bonus at end of year.
The Robots Sent Into Fukushima Just Keep Dying
ReplyDelete----------------------------------------------------
Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) head of decommissioning admitted on Thursday that more creativity was needed in developing its robots sent to the reactive zone.
The Fukushima nuclear power plant was massively damaged in 2011, when three of the six nuclear reactors suffered meltdown after being struck by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and associated tsunami waves.
More than 100,000 residents of the nearby Fukushima Prefecture had to be relocated, and the government has spent the last five years struggling with the aftermath. The incident is regarded as the world's largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
South Korea's low-cost carrier Jeju Air also announced on Tuesday that it would not use Fukushima Airport due to fears of radiation.
Some of its customers had reportedly posted online that they would not use the airline because they didn't want to "board airplanes that flew over Fukushima."
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-04/robots-sent-fukushima-just-keep-dying
@ March 05, 2017 2:23 pm
ReplyDeleteThe pro nuclear energy PAPaya Party has not given up on their nuclear ambition for Singapore.
Just imagine if Fukushima was in Singapore.
Vote wisely in GE 2020.
Keep nuclear energy out of Singapore.
ReplyDeleteAccording to themiddleground.sg
there is not much to worry or be concerned and alarmed over the $1.766 Trillion External Debt. Do Visit the Site to read.
Me am very keen to know what effect(s) the External Debt has on the average Sinkies in their living and future.
lt shall be greatly appreciated for anyone to enlighten.
patriot
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Me am very keen to know what effect(s) the External Debt has on the average Sinkies in their living and future."
ReplyDeleteI cannot enlighten pat bro, but enlightened by myself. So i tell u how i was enlightened, u decide if correct.
The 1.76trillions debts are not external debts but internal mostly borrowed from financial institutions i believed.
The garmen debt is about a gdb size, so, for easy work:1.76triln less 360billions. This 1.4 triln or 1400bilns are private debts.
How to see it? it means 3 times the gdp size. How to see it? it means work 3 years free without taking salary to pay off the debts. its 300% of gdp.
These debts are my guess: properties, mainly, commercial borrowings ie companies debts, and consumption debts like credit cards.
To me, to pay off the 300% gdp private debts will need more than 20 years from the current income and the continue influx of foreigners getting employment pass and PR, ie good jobs type.
The middle class or graduate level earning above 3000 to 5000pm are largely in this category to pay for the 1.4trillions debts. If they lose their jobs, they are bankrupt in 5 months to 10 months. ie if no paying interest, bank will bankrupt these borrowers.
What i see is: when more bankrupt exists, the poor and rich gap will go wider. This prolong for 20 years, will lead to a implosion for Singapore into syonnan.
In other words? Can the elite allow more borrowing to buy the excess condos, factories, malls units? If they go for the loose, this 300% gdp private debts will go higher. The likeliness of implosion will be higher and nearer.
There is no way to solve it except allowing citizens to work and let the market decide the salaries levels. With sweeswee to curb even increase cleaners salaries below 1000pm to 1000pm, and pinky s open door for indians pmets to get jobs here, salaries will never go up in next 20years.
That means after 20yrs middle age men become old men, these cohort has no savings in cpf to retire. U will see the implosion of singapore too.
I see sinkies in this lines, they will go into misery for voting pinky into power again and again. Good for the rich who are smart to see this coming. The foolish and the poor cannot see this future. Its misery and bleak. U have better prediction? Go ahead. I want to learn. Stand by now.
@ 4.14pm and 5.20pm
ReplyDeleteThe issues are really very simple.
We don't need to mental masturbate like our Millionaire Ministers.
Is your life better today than it was 5 or 10 years ago?
If it's not better, just vote Opposition.
Very simple.
FT KICKS A DENT IN SG CAR & PUNCH DRIVER TWICE FOR NO REASON
ReplyDeletehttp://www.allsingaporestuff.com/article/ft-kicks-dent-sg-car-punch-driver-twice-no-reason
....................
Tired of feeling physically threatened by all of PAP government's import?
Just vote Opposition.
No need to mental masturbate over this.
SAF SHOULD OPEN UP URBAN TRAINING SPACE FOR LOCAL FILM MAKERS
ReplyDeletehttp://www.allsingaporestuff.com/article/saf-should-open-urban-training-space-local-film-makers
....................
Don't have enough land to build another reservoir for water.
But got enough land (as big as Bishan) to build a new city for SAF Generals to play soldier boy.
Not happy?
Vote Opposition lah.
Mental masturbate so much for what?
THE MENTAL MASTURBATION
ReplyDelete----------------------------
“Water (pause) is existential…”
“Do we agree that water is existential to our country’s survival?
Do we agree that we should price water properly?
THE REALITY
---------------
“National Service (pause) is existential…”
“Do we agree that NS is existential to our country’s survival?
Do we agree that we should pay our NS men the proper market salary for their services?
Talk so much oso no use.Sinkies still drive Japanese cars, cameras and products .All Sinkies stuff even promote Japanese noodles restaurants and sinkies still queue though food is like Sai.
ReplyDeleteWho know uncle oredi visited the syokan museum proudly with his yasika camera.
Anyway good to remind sinkies occasionally else sinkie reject like Virgo may one day call himself Bugo instead when he go casino to drink sakae .
The bankers are good in using one group of people to kill another group of people. They used japs to kill chinese. They used muslims to kill christians. They used germans to kill jews. They just want to make money from both sides. Do not be fooled. Their one and only GOd is money.
ReplyDeleteMay b dats y d earth moves
ReplyDeleteAlot there.
What China Done Right - Part 2
ReplyDeleteAmbiguity and Lack of Accountability and Transparency
Contacted by The Straits Times about Singapore's huge external debts, a Ministry of Finance spokesman said: "We would like to take this opportunity to assure you that the Singapore Government has a strong balance sheet that has assets well in excess of our liabilities. This means that taking into account our assets, we have no net debt."
Please note the all-important word "assets. What are these assets? According to Government's Official Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2014, they are grouped under the following categories: cash, govt stocks, other investments quoted, other investments unquoted, and deposits with investment agencies. These are broad and ambiquous headings. They do not reflect fixed assets such as land, ports, MRT systems, military machines, hardware, software and weapons, aircrafts, ships, HDB flats, JTC's offices, warehouses, factory buildings and condominiums, URA office-buildings and shop-buildings, government-linked companies, Temasek Holdings and GIC (which are under Minstry of Finance), and so on. These are highly valuable assets of public interests. Why never lay bare the essential data for public scrutiny? Why live in a closet of ambiguity using all sorts of highfalutin excuses to avoid publishing facts and figures that the public have the right to know, as well as those the First Elected President Ong Teng Cheong requested for in the exercise of his Elected Presidential Powers at that time?
A Government article on the subject explains that Singapore does not borrow to spend. The fact is that, of March this year, officialy published figures stated that the total outstanding Government borrowings stood at S$436 billion.
Another fact is that the Singapore Government issues three types of domestic debts:
1. Singapore Government Securities to develop the domestic debt market;
2. Special Singapore Government Securities to meet the investment needs of the Central Provident Fund, and
3. Singapore Saving Bonds to provide individual investors with a long-term saving option that offers safe returns.
Someone stated that all the proceds from Government borrowings are fully invested, and their returns are more than sufficient to service the interests of those debts. Don't forget, investments can either make a profit or make a loss. In 2008, Temasek Holdings and GIC each made a huge loss amounting a total of more than US$100 billion, excluding the drop in book-values of their investment portfolios of 35% and 25% respectively. And without real transparency, losses could be easily covered up, or even reflected as profits and nobody would be wiser, isn't it?
Households Debt
Households Debt in Singapore increased from a record low of 21.8% in March 1991 to an all-time high of 61.1% of GDP by June 2016. A 1,000% increase in 25 years.
Average Households Debt as of 30 September 2016 was SG$54,285 per capita.
Why Households Debt Matters
Most consumers understand that having more debt, relative to assets, can be a problem. As individuals become over-leveraged, it can become harder and harder to pay down their existing debt obligations as monthly interest payments continue to increase.
Singaporean households have an asset to equity ratio reaching 150%. The discrepancy between household debt to GDP ratio and leverage ratio is likely due to the fact that government sector accounts for a bigger proportion of Singapore’s economy. This suggests that Singaporeans are more burdened by debt than their counterparts in other countries of the world.
Continues...
What China Done Right - Part 3
ReplyDeleteSteep Household Debts Affect Consumer Spending
Singapore's economic growth will continue to be in the doldrums in coming years, as exports slip and the economy becomes increasingly reliant on the services sector and cheap foreign labours - talented, skilled, unskilled and con-men alike.
A report by the Institute of Chartered Accounts in England and Wales showed that the pace of consumer spending in Singapore has slowed compared to its long-term average, suggesting that steep household leverage are crimping the Singapore's growth prospects.
"In our view, consumer debt is probably the greatest danger area. Rising household debt has been prominent in driving up overall private debt ratios in many countries in recent years, and household debt ratios look high in several countries – especially debt/disposable income ratios. Debt/income ratios are close to or above 150% in Singapore and Malaysia," said ICAEW.
High Debt-to-Income Ratios Hamper Singapore’s Growth Potential
“Stronger government investment and solid spending by households are expected to support service sector activity but services related to oil and re-exports will be vulnerable to continued weakness in regional trade. While financial crisis conditions are not present, the high debt-to-income ratios of close to 150% in Singapore may already be hampering the country’s growth potential,” the ICAEW Report noted.
Conclusion
As Singapore's Household Debts swell to 77.2% of GDP last year, together with its huge External Debts, investors confidence has been affected and credit rating agency, Moody’s downgraded Singapore's top three banks - DBS, OCBC and UOB - to 'Negative' from 'Stable'. Therefore, Singapore's GDP growth will definitely be affected.
If policies were based upon Nationalism instead of Globalism, industries and labour would have relied mainly upon locals instead of foreign investments and foreign work-force, income would have been more fairly and equally distributed; and compulsory savings continued to be based upon original aims and objectives instead of bastardized beyond recognition, and financial regulations more tightly controlled, Singaporeans would not have gone into so much household debts, which affects purchasing power, which in turn limits consumption, thereby rendering national economic growth slow and minimal.
With the sudden and speedy advantages achieved over many other countries during the first 25 years of nation-building, Singapore would have been much better off than China and India today, but, alas, it has squandered all the heart-works and hard-works of the pioneer generation due to pro-foreigners and pro-globalisation leadership.
Today, on the surface it may look good but beneath the skin everything is breaking apart and in a total mess! Please learn something from China, for a change, instead of trying to teach big powers how to suck eggs. Stop punching above your own weight!
Dragon Fly, 2017.
/// Know your past, know your history and be wiser for your own good. The past cannot be forgotten. ///
ReplyDelete- redbean
You do know you are writing to a Singaporean audience right.
The daft Singaporean has a 5 year election memory cycle.
1st year (before elections) get one free chicken wing and vote PAP.
2nd year (after elections) give back one entire chicken.
3,4 and 5th year go to redbean's blog and kpkb.
ReplyDeleteMe am eagerly waiting for the Resident Economist cum Geomancer to give us a comprehensive lesson/explanation on the lmpact of the Huge External Debt of Sin on the People.
Other than the themiddleground.sgs' telling
us not to worry, there are also many others telling me not to be bothered about it.
Sad to say, l have to disagree and get even more
worried because of the Non-chalance of Sinkies though most are living WELL on MUCH CREDITS/DEBTS.
Me has layman understanding and interpretations about the External Debt of a country and its' effect on the Citizens. lt is very rudimentary and may not be
accurate or right in understanding. l therefore look forwards to get some guidances from experts before saying my piece here
in My Singapore News.
ln fact if Sir Chua Chin Leng can give us his take about our Sin External Debt,
l would be most happy.
Wish more will give us their takes about Singapore External Debt and its' effect on our livelihoods, so that we can better plan
our livings now as well as
for the Future.
Thank You All who have given us your views and thanks in advance to those that will offer us their kind contributions.
patriot
ReplyDeleteLooks like me aint going to get any rejoinder to talk about the Sin External Debt.
The Exhortation to drop the Subject given to me seems quite proper and appropriate.
patriot
They are writing away the external debt your savings in the CPF. This is a convenient piggy bank to break and take to pay whatever debt there is. The CPF is not your money anymore.
ReplyDeletePatriot,
ReplyDeletePlease be patient. I was writing a about the External Debts, and how they affect the commoners in the street, to respond to your request. But something turns up and I had to attend to it immediately. I have already done some research. I will complete it tonight and post it tomorrow. Okay? Thanks.
Dragon Fly.
ReplyDeleteDear Dragon Fly.
Noted your Message.
You had written about it and l will most happy to read more from You.
Thank You very much.
Appreciate Your Gesture.
patriot
ReplyDeleteMy apology.
'.....and l will BE most happy
to read more from You'. to
amend my above post.
patriot
Redbean said, "According to Hsien Loong, the Syonan Gallery was to ‘evoke that dark and traumatic period in Singapore’s history’..........
ReplyDeleteNow the name Syonan can be dumped into history and good riddance."
I fully agree with what Hsien Loong has reminded all of us. The Syonan (or better still, Syokan) Gallery (or better still, Gunnery) really evoked, ignited, provoked and aroused vehemently extreme anger and hatred from the depth of my heart and the serenity of my soul, and disturbed my mind for days on end, and the fire of vengence is still burning till I sincerely have no idea when it will simmer down. Even now, at this very moment as I type these words, though in the quietness of the silent night, my mind has no peace and my heart feels the deep pain and despair of not being able to avenge my father, grandfather, grandmother, uncles and aunties, and other relatives who suffered immensely and subsequently murdered by the abhorrent, abominable, atrocious, beastly, brutal, cruel, despicable, evil, ferocious, ghoulish, heinous, iniquitous, and inhuman military officers and soldiers of the Japanese Imperial Army, invading, raiding, raping and destroying Singapore at that time - 15 Feb 1942 to 12 Sep 1945. I know deep down inside my mind's heart, their souls still cannot rest in peace.
And I can only hope Hsien Loong and his moronic Minister who proposed the name Syonan Gallery can rest in peace after they are dead and gone.
No, now the name Syonan cannot be dumped into history and good riddance. It is now still burning very fiercely in my heart, even though the name of the Gallery has been amended. I think it won't simply go away just like that.
I wish to see China rise up and take revenge for all those Chinese and Other Races who have suffered under the Japanese Imperial Armies. Only then can the souls of all those millions of Chinese and Other Races brutally murdered by the Japanese can rest in peace.
The two bombs dropped by the US on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, though inflicted immense sufferings upon the Japanese civilians, still are not sufficient lessons enough to teach the Japanese leaders the necessary lesson, judging from recent developments in Japan.
If the dead has no peace, the living will never have peace in their hearts no matter how long time has past!
Japanese Atrocities During During WW II - Part 1
ReplyDeleteIntroduction
Nanking must be remembered not only for the countless numbers of deliberately organised mass murders and slaughters but also for the brutal and cruel manners in which many defenseless, helpless innocent Chinese civilians met their deaths. An estimated 80,000 Chinese women were raped. Many soldiers went beyond rape to disembowel women, slice off their breasts, and nail them alive to walls. Chinese men were used for bayonet practice and in decapitation contests. Fathers were forced to rape their daughters, and sons their mothers, as other family members watched. Not only did live burials, castration, the carving of organs, and the roasting of people become routine, but more diabolical tortures were practiced, such as hanging people by their tongues on iron hooks or burying people to their waists and watching them get torn apart by German shepherds. So sickening was the spectacle that even German Nazis in the City of Nanking were horrified, one proclaiming the massacre to be the work of a bestial machinery.
Japanese Warrior Code
As a highly conformist society, the Japanese Military virtually controlled Japan’s destiny. Their belief in a master-race convinced many of their divine right to rule and enabled them to carry out massacres without remorse. Regret was a word seldom mentioned in the transcripts of the Japanese War Crime Tribunals.
Under the Japanese warrior code surrender was an unspeakable disgrace; prisoners were despised and treated brutally. Japan did not observe the Geneva or Hague Conventions that protected prisoners of war and civilians against ill treatments.
Japanese Capacity To Murder
The Japanese capacity to murder was as prevalent as their capacity to engage in sadistic activities. Through shootings, death marches, live burnings and live burials, prisoners and civilians were regarded as little more than sport or target practice. During the 1937 occupation of Nanking, military command actively encouraged soldiers to murder, rape and pillage. Beheading competitions were common place.
The Rape Of Nanking
When the City Nanking fell on 13 December, 1937, Japanese soldiers began an orgy of cruelty seldom if ever matched in world history. Tens of thousands of young men were rounded up and herded to the outer areas of the city, where they were mowed down by machine guns, used for bayonet practice, or soaked with gasoline and burned alive. For months the streets of the city were heaped with corpses and wreaked with stench of rotting human flesh. Years later experts at the International Military Tribunal of the Far East estimated that more than 260,000 non-combatants died at the hands of Japanese soldiers at Nanking in late 1937 and early 1938, though some experts have placed the figure at well over 350,000.
Japanese Atrocities During WW II - Part 2
ReplyDeleteJapanese Invasion of China
Japanese interest initially lay in the Chinese province of Manchuria, with its access to rich deposits of natural resources. Under the guise of economic development, Japan began to court the local warlord Chang Tso-lin. By the late 1920’s, Japan had entrenched itself within the Manchurian economy, enabling it to set up a base for its 80,000 strong Kwantang Army.
Using a clever ruse as an excuse to mobilise, Japan instigated an incident along the South Manchurian Railway in September 1931. By the autumn of 1932, all of Manchuria was under Japanese control. In 1933, Japan became the first country to withdraw from the League of Nations after China requested an investigation into the Japanese occupation of Manchuria.
Emboldened by its success in taking over Manchuria, Japan embarked on a military campaign aimed at destabilizing North China.
Apprehensive towards the united forces of the Chinese People’s Party and the Chinese Communist Party who until 1936 were engaged in a bloody civil war, Japan launched a pre-emptive strike against China.
The Sino-Japanese war, which began in 1937, allowed Japan to seek new territories to occupy and new assets, including minerals and forced labour, to exploit. These recently acquired resources meant that Japan no longer had to rely on materials imported from other countries.
Why Japan Invaded China?
China was falling apart by the turn of the century. Corrupt and nepotistic dynasty was weak and corrupt officials allowed China to be exploited left, right and center by 13 Western Powers. It was swiftly toppled by a Revolution led by Dr Sun Yat Sen. It had started well but soon his dream of a modern republic was shattered by a group of warlords and corrupt officials. Japan, fresh after industrialization and modernization, adopting the western ways, due to the progressive Meiji Restoration, and a successful war against a Western Power (Russia) gave the Japanese military leaders the confidence that they could take it one step further and build a Japanese Empire. The Romans did it, so did the British, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch. Why not Japan?
Sections of the Japanese military and government felt the Western powers had contrived to keep it at a disadvantage. Compared to its European and American allies, who continued to control much of the Asia Pacific region, Japan saw itself surrounded by colonialism. Japanese derision heightened when the United States introduced restrictive new immigration laws that Japan considered as anti-Asian. Adding to Japan’s list of grievances was the English declination to ratify a new Anglo-Japanese alliance.
Geo-Political Ambition and the Dream of setting up an Asia Co-prosperity Sphere of Influence like the British Empire, coupled with the near collapse of the Japanese economy coinciding with a huge population explosion, which double in size, dawned upon the Japanese leadership the brutal fact that it could not feed its people, many of whom were suffering from starvation.
The twisted irony is that their leaders believed that they were actually helping China, given its internal corruption and civil instability. At one point in time, the Japanese and the Kuomintang were actually allied against fighting the Chinese Communist Party. Another lesser known fact: 10% of the Japanese army was Taiwanese and Korean.
To understand deeper than just textbook descriptions you need to understand the Japanese culture. Generally, Japanese are similar to Sinkies - they obey rules, observe a code of honor, and strive to live harmoniously within the community - afraid to rock the boat and be seen as trouble-makers. These tenants reinforce each other to make for a large population of people that act as One-Nation-One-People. So when their political leaders told them that they are going to help "free China from corruption", nobody dared to question why, and generally the majority just go along with their leaders.
ReplyDeleteThank you Dragon Fly.
Very enlightening and interesting but SAD happening.
NOT born yet that time.
Can imagined how our elder sisters, bros and the elders who had suffered at that time
And yet, some morons take so lightly this SAD occurrence not taking into consideration of their elders past sufferings.
Sad, sad indeed
ReplyDeleteDear Elder Virgo49;
if Sinkies rever traitors who worked for the Japanese Imperial Army during WWII and make them their(Sinkies) Rulers, how to expect younger Sinkies to remember the不共载天的罪过/Unpardonable Sin committed by the Japanese?
Can You imagine traitors betrayed their fellow countrymen and got revered by those they
betrayed.
UNVELIEVABLE
BUT
IT HAPPENED
IN SIN.
patriot