Never again

 I had a rare chance to watch a documentary on the History channel. It was about how Malaysia was invaded and occupied by the Japanese in World War II. The fact that it was a documentary with living survivors of the occupation really had me riveted to my seat. How the Japanese literally stormed their way, encountering little resistance into Malaysia via Thailand, who apparently gave them safe passage in exchange for territory after Malaysia was conquered! I never knew that. I wonder if that has any effect on Thai-Malay relations today? It also showed how the British fled Malaysia instead of defending it. The documentary states that this decision would affect how Malaysians would see the British from then on.

 After the invasion, appalling atrocities were committed by the Japanese, singling out the Chinese while practically sparing the Malays and Indians. This would lead to a division between the ethnic groups that would almost boil to a civil war when World War II ended. After a whole hour of being historically informed about the “Rising Sun over Malaya,” I felt physically tired. It is one thing to hear stories about atrocities and war crimes from just anyone, it is another to hear it from one who was there, who actually witnessed it, who lived and survived it!

 I then asked myself, would China do that to us? With all the posturing and war rhetoric concerning the Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands, I couldn’t help but ask, what if indeed it came to blows between us and China? Would they stop at the disputed islands, or would they continue on to the archipelago? Let’s not kid ourselves, militarily we are nothing compared to this giant, no matter what anyone says. If our “friend” does not help or at the very least, intervene, then we might as well save ourselves the trouble and just give it up! Sure, we could put up a fight, but for how long? Again, let’s not kid ourselves.

 I doubt very much that they would actually invade the country after acquiring the disputed islands. With the electronic age upon us, information can be sent all over the world at the blink of an eye, or even faster! I don’t think the world would sit idly by while a giant devours a helpless country, much less commit atrocities the likes of what the Japanese did in Malaysia during World War II. We have learned from the abuses done by the US military to their Arab prisoners. We have seen how the Taliban oppress their own people. So fast is information sent that the world can and will instantly react. So that scenario is far fetched. I hope.

 What is plausible is a Falklands War kind of thing. The Falkland Islands, or Malvinas if you’re Argentine, is currently under British control. A long standing dispute on sovereignty over the islands exploded in 1982, where Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. The British then sent forces to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force. Seventy-four days later, the Argentine forces surrendered, and the Falklands were back in British hands. Now, if China, in a moment of stupidity, occupies militarily the Scarborough Shoal and we bravely albeit foolishly fight back, it would probably be over in seventy-four minutes! That’s just to highlight the sorry state our military is in. Truth hurts.

 Perhaps everyone should watch the documentary that I did, if only to see how wars bring out the worst in men. Diplomacy is what we need, not the gunboat type that China is all too willing to pursue at present! They have said that they will not bring the dispute for international intervention. To me, that sounds like the terrible winds of war rustling in the trees. Never again should anything like World War II, or even the Falkland War, happen to any country. Big or small.