Sunday, May 29, 2005

Don’t mention the war

Source: "Lifestyle"-The Star- 29 May 2005

By PHILIP GOLINGAI

IN the coffee shops of Yong Peng, Johor, the hot topic among elderly Chinamen is the recent spat between Tokyo and Beijing over the new Japanese textbooks that downplay Japan's wartime atrocities in China.

At Kedai Makanan dan Minuman Hua Kee, two friends of 30 years, Er Choon Bok and Wong Chong Ming were deep in discussion. Over Chinese tea, the 70-something men were expressed their views on China versus Japan. And, obviously they were pro-China.

“The Japanese shouldn't change history. If they had killed thousands of Chinese, then write that they killed thousands of Chinese,” says Wong.

Wong and Er were animated in their discussion on Japanese atrocities in China.

But, when it came to their personal experiences during the Japanese occupation, both were silent, claiming that they had not talked about it since World War II.

Er Choon Bok (left) and Wong Chong Ming love to discuss the Japanese atrocities in China but not their own memories of occupied Malaya. - Photo by ONG SOON HIN
“This is the first time I'm talking about the Japanese (occupation),” says Wong, when asked to relate his experience. “What's there to talk about? That is old story. There is no point of talking about it.”

Er agrees. “The past is the past. Right now, we have food to eat and we do not want to be reminded of the days when we had nothing to eat,” he explains.

In the next few years, the men, who do not want to talk about the past, will probably have fewer friends to talk to about their days under the Japanese yoke.

“It is difficult ? most of them are dead,” says Wong, when asked if he could recommend friends who can share their experiences between 1941 and 1945.

However, when persuaded that their oral history might hold useful lessons for the generations born after World War II, they relived – just a little bit – the past.

“I do remember when the Japanese attacked the British in Yong Peng,” says Wong. “On that day, we had to run to the jungle because we were afraid the Japanese would catch us if we did not. My father told me that if we were caught by the Japanese, they would hit us until we died.”

Er's memory of the Japanese is that “when they caught a woman, they would rape her. The Japanese were evil. When they came to a house they would definitely look for women and when they got hold of one, they would rape her.”

He recalls, however, an incident in his village where 20 Japanese soldiers caught hold of a young Chinese woman and were about to rape her but, when a higher-ranking officer appeared, he ordered them to release the woman.

“Not all Japanese were evil,” he concludes.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

They have some truly strange and twisted ways. Who else, what other people, what other culture, could come up with anything as bizarre as a fascination with what they call Bukkake?

10:31 PM  

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