Although the Chinese suffered the most during the Japanese Occupation, the Malays, Indians and the Eurasians were not spared. We were made to bow to Japanese soldiers when they saw them on the streets. If we failed to do so, we would be slapped or punished. Some Malays were arrested on the streets by soldiers and sent to Thailand to build the Burma-Thailand Railway. A large number of us made up of Europeans, Australians, Chinese, Indians and Eurasians were also sent to construct this railway. They worked under harsh conditions. They were made to work long hours and given very little food. This railway in known as the 'Death Railway'. I am not doing this for real but bowing to the Japanese is a must, so, I just pretended. I don't want to get caught you know. The Japanese wanted the Indians to join the Indian National Army to fight against the British. Many of them refused and are sent to prison or killed. Some were also sent to Thailand to build the railway. Phew! I am not an Indian. If I were one of them, I would have already hid somewhere until I die. The Japanese thought that the Eurasians saw themselves as superior to the other Asian races because they were related to the Europeans. Those suspected of helping the British were shot and many were put in prison camps. At least I'm not part of it but I felt sorry for them because they cannot help the British. If I were one of them, I would not arise suspicions and just act that I did not see anything bad happening. I think the Japanese are too much! They keep forcing other people to do this and that. I would just stay in my house so that I need not do much of what they told the rest to do.
Here is what the Death Railway looks like :
Book : Ministry of Education, Singapore (2007) Interacting with Our World : Singapore Under Foreign
Rule. Marshall Cavendish Education
Picture : http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4545038376699918&pid=15.1
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