Operation Clean Up ( Operation Sook Ching )

Operation Clean Up ( Operation Sook Ching )

The Sook Ching Massacre  was a systematic extermination of perceived hostile elements among the Chinese in Singapore  by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Japanese Occupation Of Singapore.The massacre took place from 18 February to 4 March 1942 at various places in Singapore.

The Kempeitai introduced the system of " Sook Ching ", which means "purge through purification", to get rid of those deemed as anti-Japanese. The Massacre claimed the lives of about 25,000 to 50,000 Chinese in Singapore and Malaya. These men were rounded up and taken to deserted spots around the island and killed.

The Japanese military authorities targeted the following people

• Activists in the China Relief Fund
• Rich men who had contributed generously to the China Relief Fund
• Supporters of Tan Kah Kee, leader of the Nanyang National Salvation Movement
• Hainanese which were predicted to be communists
• Chinese who came to Malaya after the Second Sino-Japanese War
• Men with tattoos which were predicted to be triad members
• Chinese who joined the Singapore Overseas Chinese Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army 
• Those who were likely to sympathise with the British.
• Those who possessed weapons and were likely to disrupt public security
  
   The Japanese set up designated "screening centers" all over Singapore to gather and "screen" all Chinese males of age 18 and 50. Those who were predicted to be "anti-Japanese" would be executed. Sometimes, women and children were also sent for inspection as well.

  

  Sook Ching Screening Centres

  
  

  

  Execution Taking Place

  The ones who passed the "screening"  would get a piece of paper bearing the word "examined" or have a square ink mark stamped on them. Those who failed would be stamped with triangular marks instead. They would be separated from the others and packed into trucks near the centers and sent to the killing sites such as  Changi Beach, Punggol Beach and Sentosa ( previously called Pulau Blakang Mati)
  
  
  The number of death every single day varies. Official Japanese statistics shows that fewer than 5,000 were executed while the Singaporean Chinese community claims the numbers to be around 100,000.
  
  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sook_Ching_massacre(Date accessed:16 February 2013)
  Images from Google Images( Date accessed::16 February 2013)