17. Terror Under The Japanese Soldiers

Japanese Military Police

The Japanese Military police or Kempeitai was the most feared and hated by the local people. In Taiping, father Chung Chow recalled that one such officer wielded a cane with a protruding nail at the end that would tear flesh with each stroke of the cane. He would patrolled the town and whacked any naughty guys he encountered.

Old Rest House, Station Road

King Edward VII Secondary School

While the Japanese soldiers lived in public places such as schools located all over town, the Kempeitai made their headquarters at the old rest-house (now known as Legend Hotel) along Station Road with their living quarters situated across the road at King Edward the 7th School or popularly known as KE School. These two places were infamously well-known to be haunted by hundreds of innocent souls who were tortured to death by the kempeitai for they exercised complete powers of arrest and interrogation. And most often torture came before any investigation was carried out.

Whipping

Clamping Nails

One of the common mode of torture was the "water" treatment where the suspect had a tubing of running water from a tap forced into his mouth until his stomach became bloated with water. The torturer then stepped all over the suspect's stomach to force out the water. This ordeal was repeated several times until the suspect confessed. The other extreme to the "water" treatment was the "fire" treatment where the torturer would burn the suspect with a red-hot branding iron.

Whipping was another common torture. Sometimes, to induce a confession, suspects' nails were clamped with a wooden vice, or had his nails pulled out with pliers.

Prisoner of War

Prisoners of War

In Taiping, the Japanese soldiers committed various atrocious acts against the British and Australian soldiers and their wives and families. The hapless victims were stripped naked and paraded across the town for all to see. The Japanese soldiers would threatened the public with whipping if they refused to look. Prisoners of war were starved and many had to survive on insects such as cockroaches and rats.

Decapitated Heads

Another cruel act committed by the Japanese soldiers was the open display of decapitated heads placed on long wooden stools in public places such as along Tupai Lane where the only licensed toddy shop was and is still located, and along Kota Road where the old UMBC bank used to be. All these were meant to frighten the people into submission.

General Yamashita, or "Tiger of Malaya"

The Japanese leaders who administered Taiping were cruel and ruthless as they would beat and kick anyone who refused to submit to their authority. General Yamashita or "Tiger of Malaya" was the overall commanding officer for Malaya and Singapore.

Next: 18. Work To Survive