Lessons from the Japanese Occupation in Singapore

During the school holidays, I worked with my group on our Oral History Project. We interviewed my grandfather, Mr David Tharmaraj Row, 82. We asked him questions about the war in Singapore, the separation of Singapore from Malaya and post-independent Singapore. He shared many experiences with us - you can view the full interview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9oRKappIco.

But I also remember other war stories he told me when I was younger.
One frightening story was about how a Japanese soldier almost cut off his finger with a sword when he caught Kong-Kong stealing an egg. The Japanese soldiers terrified the people of Singapore and beatings and torture was not uncommon. Kong-Kong himself was even given a tight slap across the face once for forgetting to bow to a Japanese soldier.

Kong-Kong and Mama, my grandmother, also told me about Mrs Elizabeth Choy, Singapore's War Heroine. We knew her because Mama used to work with Mrs Choy at The School For The Blind. Uncle Ian was also a student at St. Andrew's Secondary School when Mrs Choy was a teacher there.

Mrs Choy was tortured by the Japanese because she helped the British and prisoners at Changi. All of them were not allowed to talk or move from their cross-legged seating position. Although they were not allowed to speak, they continued to communicate through sign language.


Mrs. Choy was subjected to beatings by the Japanese officers and was even electrocuted in front of her husband. The Japanese tried to force her into giving out the names of informants or admitting that she was anti-Japanese. After 193 days, the Japanese finally released her from prison, after learning that they would never get the 'confession' that they wanted out of her. She was released the day after her husband was sentenced to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment on 25th May 1944.
                                         
We used to visit Mrs Choy in her home when I was a toddler. I wish I had a chance to speak with her. From the stories I heard and read from my grandparents, I know she was a very courageous person and a forgiving person. Did you know that even at the War Crimes Tribunal, when she was given a chance to name her torturers, she never revealed any names saying  she condemned war and not the people who tortured her?