AT THE end of 1941,
the Japanese suddenly struck all over Asia and the
Pacific Ocean. Without warning the British and
Americans found themselves attacked and fighting to
survive. The American fleet was destroyed at Pearl
Harbour; British war-ships were sunk around
Singapore. Small British garrisons were wiped out,
while thousands of miles away British forces were
engaged in fighting German and Italian aggression.
Within a few weeks the Japanese had conquered
South-East Asia; Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore, the
Philippines and Indonesia all fell. Nothing could
save Borneo.
North
Borneo was a peaceful land with no army other
than its Constabulary and Volunteers. They would have
fought and been killed if Britain had not ordered
them to lay down their arms rather than fight
uselessly. The Japanese were everywhere in great
strength and quickly overran the whole of Borneo. All
Europeans were arrested and imprisoned, but the
Japanese boasted that they would raise the standard
of living of the Asiatic population by taking them
into the Japanese Co-Prosperity Sphere.
How
false these promises were! The Europeans were
savagely beaten in their prisons, and the Asians too
were cruelly treated in all parts of the country.
There was no justice any longer. Innocent people were
shot or beheaded. Possessions were stolen in the name
of the Japanese military Government.
The
Chinese were treated worst of all. For years China
had been in war with Japanese could never win a
complete victory. The helpless Chinese of North Borneo
therefore became victims of their spite. Besides
committing acts of barbarism, the Japanese also tried
to wipe out Chinese culture by forbidding the use of
the Chinese language in the schools. All the work of
the past fifty years was in danger of being wiped
out.
The
English language too was forbidden, and the Japanese
language had to be studied instead. The Japanese were
quite certain that they would win the war. Were not
their troops halfway across the Pacific? Were they
not in New Guinea, about to invade Australia?
They
were, but not for very long. The Australians defeated
them in New Guinea; the Americans defeated them in
the air and at sea amongst the Pacific Islands; the
British saved India and defeated the Japanese in
Burma. Although in 1942 only Japanese aeroplanes
could be seen by the people of Borneo, by 1944 A merican and Australian planes were beginning to
bring hope to them as they flew over to bomb the
Japanese.
The
people knew that liberation could not be far off.
Encouraged by this thought and made desperate by the
cruelty of the Japanese, the Chinese and o local
people formed a guerilla band and bravely attacked
their oppressors on the night of the 10th October
1943 in Jesselton. They were not strong enough to
hold the town, and after killing many of the enemy
they had to retreat towards the jungle. The rising
was brave but hopeless, and the Japanese took a
brutal revenge on natives and Chinese alike.
Within
the next two years they were completely defeated when
the Australians landed and liberated North Borneo.
There was some very bitter fighting. If you visit
Labuan you will be able to see the graves of the
thousands of Australian and Commonwealth soldiers who
lost their lives in liberating our country.
Every
year now we celebrate Liberation Day on the 9th
September.
Before
the Japanese soldiers retreated from our towns they
burnt them to the ground. Other places were destroyed
in the bombing and fighting. That is why North Borneo
came out of the war completely ruined.
A
British Military Administration was set up in October
1945 to look after this devastated land.
A Sifter
their liberation, many Chartered Company officials
joined the new soldier officials in working hard to
rebuild the country. Food, medical supplies and
clothing were brought in and soon conditions began to
get better. Nevertheless the task of re building the
country was too big for the Chartered Company. Thus
it came about that in July 1946 the British
Government agreed to accept North Borneo as a colony
of the British Commonwealth under the Crown. British
help was guaranteed by this decision and the Colony
of North Borneo marched on to a happier future.
QUESTIONS
