Harminder,  Filzah, Rubaiya & Shikin (Sec 212)

Assignment: Could the Japanese be forgiven for their wartime occupation?

   No, Singapore has not forgiven the Japanese.   It is because the Japanese made Singaporeans suffer terribly, more terribly, more terrible than the British.   Even the British, our colonial master was not that cruel when the Japanese invaded Singapore, the Japanese had treated them much worse than the British did.   The Japanese were cruel and the people preferred being ruled under the British.

   Here are dome of the examples of what the Japanese did to find out about Force 136 and if anybody tried to help the prisoner of war: the Japanese made the victims use chains with a wire that had short points on it.  The victim's mouth was then stuffed with a piece of cloth.   Later the Japanese would fill the victim's mouth with the water hose.   When the stomach was full with water, they will step on the victim.   Many victims died this way.

   Beside that, the Japanese tortured them by making them kneel on sharp sticks for 3 hours.   The victims were unsheltered from the sun.   The Japanese did not give them a drop of water to drink.   They had to carry a huge and heavy stone.   If they collapse or fail to carry the heavy stone, they would be beaten.   If they were still conscious, the victim was brought to a far away place and was asked to kneel on top of sharp sticks again.   Some, were cramped into a prison and a man from here had not seen daylight for 3 years.   He had been locked into a prison where there is no light.

   In our opinion, we forgive the Japanese but in our hearts, it is still very difficult because of the way they tortured our forefathers.   Until today, the Japanese still did not make any formal apology to the people they tortured.