The Kempeitai

The Kempeitai were the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army. A Kempeitai corp was referred to as a "kempei", from "ken" meaning law and "hei" meaning soldier. During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, there were 200 regular kempei in Singapore. 1000 auxiliaries were also recruited from the army. During the occupation, the old YMCA building served as the headquarters of the Kempeitai East District Branch, while the West District Branch was located at a former residence at Smith Street in Chinatown.

Incidentally, the Kempeitai did maintain order in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation--to an extent. It was simply that people were just scared out of their wits--they did not dare to commit any crimes while the Kempeitai were around. For example, before the Japanese occupied Singapore, the island was full of looters who simply stole anything they could. When the Japanese came, however, they shot the unfortunate criminals who had misfortune to be caught. Then the Japanese beheaded them and displayed their heads at Dhoby Ghaut, Anderson Bridge and Kallang Bridge. Needless to say, the gruesome display instantly deterred people from looting.

But the Kempeitai was also responsible for demolishing any anti-Japanese activities. The Kempeitai made use of spies and informers recruited from the community, who gave information to the Kempeitai in return for various rewards and privileges. Most of the informers came from dubious backgrounds--there were prostitutes, secret society members, and even people with criminal records. These people just wanted to save themselves from the punishments like torture and execution, and thus freely gave information to the Kempeitai. The secret spies and informers were everywhere, and thus the people living at that time did not know who they could trust. Many innocent people were taken away mysteriously, and a cloud of suspicion and fear hung over Singapore.

Those that were identified by the informers and spies and who were suspected of being anti-Japanese were arrested, where they would be incarcerated in tiny cells and forced to be absolutely motionless and silent. The Kempeitai would then torture them ruthlessly until they revealed the information they wanted, "confessed" to committing a crime or told them the names of anti-Japanese accomplices. Anyone who was identified as a "subersive force" by the prisoner would be sentenced to death or imprisonment.

The Kempeitai used many methods of torture to get the information they wanted. These methods include:

Water treatment: The prisoner would have water forced down his throat until his stomach becomes bloated. Then, the water would be forced out again by jumping on his stomach until he faints. He is revived, and the terrible process repeated.

Corporal Beatings Treatment: Exactly what the name implies. Metal bars, sticks, bamboo, wet knotted ropes, belts with buckles and revolver butts were all used to hit prisoners.

Burning and electric shock treatment: 'Live' electric wires, candles, lighted cigarettes, boiling oil or boiling water were applied to sensitive parts of the prisoner's body to cause him great pain.

Breaking fingers treatment: Sticks would be placed in between the prisoner's fingers and then squeezed, and this would fracture the bones.

The fingernails and toenails of the prisoner were also torn out, causing the poor victim unbearable pain.

Body suspension treatment: The prisoner's body would be suspended by the wrists or neck, or he would be hung upside-down by his legs. Interrogators would then pull the victims' joints from their sockets.

Eardrum piercing treatment: The victim's eardrums would be pierced by sharp pencils.

Sun-bathing: This was not an enjoyable pastime to the people who lived through the occupation, no matter what you may think. The victim's were made to kneel in the sun for very long periods, even until the sun had set. This would cause his skin to peel.

Whipping: The victim would be tied down and whipped by a Japanese Officer.

Boiling: The victim would be bound tightly and immersed in a pot of water, which was boiled gradually. If the victim fell unconscious, he would be taken out of the pot and revived. Then, if he still did not confess, the process would be repeated until he confessed or died--depending on which came first.

All these tortures sound as painful as they were. None of us can ever imagine how it felt to those who were tortured. We must never forget the pain our forefathers went through.