NTU Gets Backlash After Placing Their Jap Festival On The Anniversary Of The Sook Ching Massacare

Boon Hun

2019-02-19 , 6:00 pm

We’re not just living in a smart era. We’re also living in the age of PC-ness, or politically correctness.

You have to be really careful about what you say because people will not hesitate to take you apart.

Piece.

By.

Piece.

As NTU can tell you firsthand.

NTU Annual Japanese Cultural Festival on 18 Feb 2019

Every year, the NTU Japanese Appreciation Club hold a Japanese Cultural Festival to showcase Japanese arts and culture.

It’s held on NTU grounds and is open to the public.

This year, the event was held at the North Spine Canopy Stage at NTU on 18 Feb 2019.

Showcases Students’ Lack of Knowledge

When the event’s place and date were announced, some netizens were immediately triggered.

In case you can’t see it, netizen Angeline Lee shared a screenshot of the event Facebook post and expressed unhappiness at the date.

This event says a lot about our students’ lack of knowledge and appreciation about the significant events in our country’s history.

18 February 1942 The Kempeitai started Sook Ching – the massacre of the Chinese population after the fall of Singapore

And NTU students plan for a Japanese cultural day on 18 February.

(Please repost this to raise awareness.)

The Sook Ching Massacre

According to the National Library Board, Operation Sook Ching is a Japanese operation aimed at eliminating the anti-Japanese elements from the Chinese community in Singapore.

Chinese males between the age of 18 and 50 were directed to go to designated screening centres for inspections.

Those who passed the screening were allowed to go home with a stamp saying “examined”, either on paper or parts of their bodies.

Those who failed the screening, however, were sent to remote areas like Changi, Bedok and Punggol and gunned down by the Japanese.

The Japanese had said that the number of deaths during the Sook Ching Massacre was 5,000; however, it seems that the number of deaths is much higher, with one Japanese correspondent saying it could be as high as 25,000 deaths.

Netizens’ Comments

Of course, with every noteworthy event like this happening, you can be sure that netizens will be jumping to give their take on the incident.

Some felt that it’s not just the students who should be blamed.

While another thinks NTU isn’t sensitive enough.

Image: Angeline Lee Facebook Post

One even suggested boycotting the event so that citizens are aware.

But not all is bad because some felt that it’s just making mountains out of molehills.

What Do The Organiser Have To Say?

So was it intentional? Did they want free publicity? Why on 18 Feb?

A spokesperson for NTU explained that the event date was picked simply based on when the venue is available.

“The student organisers will observe a minute of silence at the start of the event to honour those who lost their lives during Sook Ching and World War II,” he added.

So what do you think? Is this a case of being oversensitive, or the school should’ve known better?