The Civic District I

The Killing Fields

Singapore was occupied territory by the Japanese Forces 1942 to 1945. Large numbers of civilians were taken away by the Japanese Army and massacred in Killing Fields around Singapore.

We will never know the exact numbers but the unofficial estimate of the massacred stands at 50,000 people.

Siglap was named the ‘Valley of Tears’ as 5 different mass graves were unearth. These were discovered during sandwashing operations in an area off the 7.5 mile Siglap Road.

Further investigations by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce led to the discovery of more killings fields.

1 at Evergreen Avenue in Siglap.

2 at 10.5 milestone Changi Road.




The Atonement

The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce sought permission for a site along Thomson Road for the reburial of the dead. The dead were given their due respect along with plaques so that they are forever immortalized.

But this was not atonement enough. Our dead needed to be memorialized forever and Singapore needed a gesture to regain its dignity. In 1963, the decision to erect of a war memorial for the civilian victims of World War II came to pass. The was funded jointly by the people of Singapore and the Government of Singapore.



The Memorial

This four pillared structure which was more than 68 meters high was unveiled in 1967 by then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. This structure represents the shared war turma which transcends racial differences. Three of the pillars are symbols for the Chinese, Indians and Malays. The fourth pillar is a symbol for the other races.

It is a symbol of the shared 'war experiences' of the Chinese, Indians, Malays, and other races.

It is a symbol of putting the souls to rest.

It is a symbol of a nation putting its painful past to rest and moving forward to meet the future head on.


Memorial Service

Every year on 15 February Singaporeans gather at the Civilian War Memorial to commemorate the day were Singaporeans laid their World War II civilian casualties to rest.



Trivia

Did you know that the monument was built on a burial chamber which contained ashes of thousands of unknown civilians exhumed from killing fields, that were discovered?
Did you know that the Civilian War Memorial resembles two pairs of chopsticks and so it is affectionately called the "chopsticks" memorial?

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