Chitchat SG52 & LHLoong still Voluntarily Ruled by Japs Abe, willingly be Comfort Wom

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

Relunctantly now they changed their Syonan Sign board, but in their minds and hearts they are still the Japs' loyal Comfort Women, running dogs and Traitors of SGP.



http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...-to-cause-pain

Syonan Gallery renamed: 'Never any intention to cause pain'
Workers covering the Syonan Gallery signage at the Former Ford Factory on Feb 17, 2017.
Workers covering the Syonan Gallery signage at the Former Ford Factory on Feb 17, 2017. ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI
Published
Feb 18, 2017, 5:00 am SGT
Name change welcomed by Chinese community members whose families were targeted during WWII Occupation
Melody Zaccheus

The decision to remove "Syonan Gallery" from the name of a new World War II exhibition space came about because of the strong reaction it provoked.

Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim said yesterday that Syonan Gallery: War and its Legacies will now be called Surviving the Japanese Occupation: War and its Legacies.

In a statement, he said that over the previous two days, he had read the comments made on this issue and received many letters from Singaporeans of all races.

"While they agreed that we need to teach Singaporeans about the Japanese Occupation, they also shared that the words 'Syonan Gallery' had evoked deep hurt in them, as well as their parents and grandparents," he said.

"This was never our intention, and I am sorry for the pain the name has caused."

He added: "I have reflected deeply on what I heard. We must honour and respect the feelings of those who suffered terribly and lost family members during the Japanese Occupation."

The gallery, which opened on Wednesday as part of events to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore to Japanese occupiers during the war, is housed in the Former Ford Factory building in Upper Bukit Timah Road.

Dr Yaacob said yesterday that when he opened the exhibition, he had explained that it was designed to capture the dark days of the Japanese Occupation, and remind Singaporeans never to take for granted their peace, harmony and sovereignty.

"Far from expressing approval of the Japanese Occupation, our intention was to remember what our forefathers went through, commemorate the generation of Singaporeans who experienced the Japanese Occupation and reaffirm our collective commitment never to let this happen again," he said.

The minister also noted that the word "Syonan" had been used before to factually describe this difficult period.

For instance, in 1992, for the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, an exhibition at the National Museum was titled "When Singapore was Syonan-to". But the latest exhibition, he said, provoked a "strong reaction".

The decision to change the name capped more than a week of debate about the issue.

When signage with the words "Syonan Gallery" were seen during a media preview of the gallery on Feb 9, critics pointed out that it was insensitive and that it glorified the Japanese occupiers.

The National Library Board (NLB) later said that the signs had not yet been completed. When the exhibition opened on Wednesday, the signs read "Syonan Gallery: War and Its Legacies, An Exhibition at Former Ford Factory".

During the opening, Dr Yaacob highlighted the courage and humanity showed by Singaporeans during the war. He teared up as he recounted how some Chinese handed water to prisoners of war and were slapped for it, and how Malays gave shelter to Chinese neighbours targeted by the invaders.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that the name of the exhibition "has understandably caused strong reactions", but added: "We cannot erase our history or bury the past. The exhibition is a reminder of a traumatic period in our history and the suffering our pioneers experienced when Singapore lost its freedom and even its name."

Dr Yaacob said yesterday that the contents of the exhibition remain unchanged. "They capture a painful and tragic period in our history which we must never forget, and which we must educate our young about," he said. "It is vital for us to learn the lessons of history, and reaffirm our commitment never to let this happen to Singapore again."

Last night, many Singaporeans, including netizens, the heritage community and members of the Chinese community whose families had been targeted by the invaders, expressed their support for the name change.
ST_20170218_STSYONAN_2949875.jpg
The signage outside the Former Ford Factory. The choice of the name "Syonan Gallery" has sparked controversy, with some saying it is disrespectful and insensitive, while others feel it is appropriate.
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Businessman Daniel Teo, 74, whose granduncle was the war hero Lim Bo Seng, who was tortured by the Japanese and died in prison, described the news as "wonderful".
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Visitors to former Syonan Gallery welcome change of name, new signs to be up in a month

Mr Teo was one of those who wrote to the authorities asking for a change. He said it would not have felt right stepping into the compound and taking foreign visitors to the exhibition.

"My elders had suffered during the war, and Syonan glorified the might of our invaders. So the name Syonan Gallery had hit me very strongly," he added.

Mr Tan Aik Hock, chairman of the Singapore Lam Ann Association and council member of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, said he had received more than 10 letters from members whose relatives had experienced the war.

On the renaming, Mr Tan said: "This is a good ending. The Government has been decisive after realising it wasn't an appropriate name."

The gallery was previously named Memories at Old Ford Factory. It was closed for a year-long revamp ahead of the 75th anniversary. It now features many new archival materials, including contributions, such as a Syonan Labour Department labour identity booklet, from the public.
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 18, 2017, with the headline 'Naming of gallery: 'Never any intention to cause pain''. Print Edition | Subscribe


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