The Japanese came to South East Asia
To kill, plunder and instill fear
They claimed a benign intension
To build a 'Co-Prosperity Sphere'
The inquisitors tortured the heretics
And burned them all at the stake
They called it 'benignant asperity'
Done only for the poor souls' sake.
'Ethnic cleansing' and 'holy wars'
Whatever form the extreme malice
Despots and murderers get away
When they put language to good service.
By Catherine Lim - Today - Friday August 11, 2006
During the Meiji era (1868-1912), Japan's political, social and economic structures underwent drastic transformation so that she could strengthen herself and develop into a strong military nation. In 1895, Japan defeated China and forced her to give up Formosa (Taiwan). In 1905, Japan defeated Russia and that encouraged Japan to annexed Korea in 1910. During World War I (1914-1918), Japan entered the war on the side of the Allied forces, which eventually won the war. Japan took over Germany's colony, Shangtung in China. During the 1920s, powerful Japanese army leaders gained political power, and in 1931, Japan invaded and seized Manchuria, which was important because of her mineral and energy resources. From Manchuria, the Japanese moved on to conquer other parts of China.
Japan claimed to be the leader of Asia and to liberate Asia from colonial rule. In reality, Japan wanted to exploit the resources of Asia for her own developing industries and acquire areas of settlement for her growing population. The Japanese wanted to control Malaya because it was the world's leading producer of tin and rubber. Singapore was important because of her strategic position as a base from which the Japanese could launch her invasion of Indonesia where oil could be obtained. Japan also hoped to put an end to the assistance given by the Malayan and other Southeast Asian Chinese to support the war effort in China.
On 8 December 1941, Japanese forces landed at Kota Bharu in Kelantan. Within ten weeks, the Japanese had defeated the British and conquered the whole of Malaya and Singapore. The people of Malaya and Singapore came under a period known as the Japanese Occupation, which lasted for a short period from February 1942 to September 1945 - three years and eight months.
