2-WWII+Malaya+&+Singapore+OT

Sree Lingam, 5th per.
 * Malaya and Singapore: Occupied Territory **


 * What were the circumstances in the Occupied Territory that compelled the policies implemented by the occupying power there? How was policy shaped to address these circumstances? **

Malaya, which was a British colony on the Island of Borneo (now Malaysia), was attacked by the Japanese on December 8, 1941. Malaya had become a stockpile of resources that Japan particularly vied for, for its military. As a result, the Japanese attacked Britain, whose military amounted to 100,000. Despite having the numbers needed for the fight, the British did not have the prowess or experience to fight in the tropical Bornean climate, resulting in their quick defeat by Japan. Japan had seized control of Malaya and Singapore through repeated military interventions by Japan February 15, 1942.

Policies that the Japanese implemented involved eliminating all sense of western influence in Southeast Asia to establish a sphere of influence of their own ( Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere). This would be done by acquiring territories and exerting control over all of them. Through Japanese imposition of military, people in the territories would learn to acclimate to the changes. Singapore and Malaya both had a massive Allied population consisting of soldiers as well as civilians and their families. The presence of such a large population of Allied aligning individuals, caused Japan to develop a sense of tension. To alleviate the tension and establish Japanese dominance, the Japanese put the Europeans through a series of physically demanding labor camps. Additionally, as Europeans in the vicinity became prisoners of war, and were sent to various prisons and camps including Sime Road Camp, the physical strength and resistance of the prisoners of war drastically declined. Often times, prisoners of war from the camps were sent to build the Thailand Burma railroad. Working conditions and the severity of the physical labor generated terrifying statistics - 500 people died for every mile of railroad put down ( totaling to approximately 100,000 deaths). These deaths quickly led to the railroad endeavor being called the occupation, school children were taught to s being called the Death Railway. Social dynamics also changed drastically. Starting with the youngest cohort of people, school children were taught to sing the Japanese National Anthem every day. On a more extreme note, adults who did not bow down to Japanese officials as a sign of submission, were beaten in public.


 * What were the effects of the occupation of your territory on the occupying power's war effort?**

The Japanese occupation of Malaya and Singapore provided Japan with a stock pile of resources as well as easy labor to attain the resources. Additionally the territory was easy to seize control of since Britain was preoccupied in Europe and wasn't able to put up much of a resistance since the environment and climate were unfamiliar. Invading and attaining even more territory was also not a difficult feat for Japan since the measures of brutality and suppression used by the Japanese were rather effective. The occupation of Malaya and Singapore did not hinder Japan’s war plans since it was not difficult to maintain control of. Other positive effects of the occupation include the expedited construction of the Thailand Burmese railway system. The use of prisoners of war and individuals associated with the Allied powers were converted to vehicles of labor and were placed under immense physical duress This weakened the Europeans/Allies, but increased the spirit and morale of the Japanese.


 * What were the motivations/methods/outcomes of resistance and collaboration? How did this affect the Occupied Territory after the war? **

As a result of the Japanese military imposition the native and European population, people lived in fear and were weak due to the physically demanding labor camps. Despite Japanese efforts to suppress and use fear inducing methods to oppress the masses, some still managed to form resistance groups. The Europeans and natives took much offense at the treatment by the Japanese and were humiliated. The two groups did not want to prolong the disgrace that they were being subject to and also wanted to save their fellow comrades and family members from the brutality of the labor camps. The Malayans (natives) formed the Malayan Peoples Anti-Japanese army, which consisted of approximately seven thousand men. In a way, the British and Malayans collaborated to undermine the Japanese authority. The British Special Operations Executives imparted their knowledge of guerrilla warfare and training regimens to the the Singaporeans and Malayans. The resistance movement was a futile effort and but it did boost the morale of the natives and British to some extent. Resistance also came in the form of cultural disobedience in ways including refusing to bow down to Japanese authority, and refusal to recite the Japanese national anthem in schools.

Post war relations were mostly financial - Japan was obligated to Singapore. In the meanwhile, Britain once again claimed control of Malaya and Singapore. However nationalistic pressures ensues leading to decolonization and eventual independence for Singapore and Malaysia.

Cavendish, Marshall. // History of World War II - Vol. 2 //. New York: Mashall Cavendish, 2005. Print.
 * Bibliography: **

Tsao, Sarah, and Geraldine Chan. "Japanese Occupation." // ThinkQuest //. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. [].