Syonan Gallery renamed to bear witness to painful memories: PM Lee
The World War II exhibition at the Former Ford Factory, previously known as "Syonan Gallery: War and Its Legacies", was renamed to bear witness to painful memories, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday (Feb 18).
In a Facebook post, Mr Lee noted that many Singaporeans have spoken up in recent days about the name of the exhibition.
"The name Syonan was meant to evoke that dark and traumatic period in Singapore’s history," explained Mr Lee.
“But quite a few felt that the name itself, used like this, caused them pain. Many Singaporeans of all races suffered terrible atrocities during the Japanese Occupation, or had family members who did,” he added.
Singapore was renamed Syonan-to by the Japanese after the British surrender in 1942.
Out of respect for the people who suffered under the Japanese Occupation, Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim had on Friday announced that the exhibition will, instead, be called Surviving the Japanese Occupation: War and its Legacies.
“My colleagues and I honour and respect these deep feelings," wrote PM Lee. "So we have renamed the exhibition to bear witness to these painful memories.”
Mr Lee also thanked Singaporeans for sharing their thoughts and views on the matter. “Such conversations bring us closer together,” he said. “I hope that Singaporeans will go and see the exhibition. We must never forget the events that so profoundly impacted our lives and shaped our society”
~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~
The World War II exhibition at the Former Ford Factory, previously known as "Syonan Gallery: War and Its Legacies", was renamed to bear witness to painful memories, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday (Feb 18).
In a Facebook post, Mr Lee noted that many Singaporeans have spoken up in recent days about the name of the exhibition.
"The name Syonan was meant to evoke that dark and traumatic period in Singapore’s history," explained Mr Lee.
“But quite a few felt that the name itself, used like this, caused them pain. Many Singaporeans of all races suffered terrible atrocities during the Japanese Occupation, or had family members who did,” he added.
Singapore was renamed Syonan-to by the Japanese after the British surrender in 1942.
Out of respect for the people who suffered under the Japanese Occupation, Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim had on Friday announced that the exhibition will, instead, be called Surviving the Japanese Occupation: War and its Legacies.
“My colleagues and I honour and respect these deep feelings," wrote PM Lee. "So we have renamed the exhibition to bear witness to these painful memories.”
Mr Lee also thanked Singaporeans for sharing their thoughts and views on the matter. “Such conversations bring us closer together,” he said. “I hope that Singaporeans will go and see the exhibition. We must never forget the events that so profoundly impacted our lives and shaped our society”
~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~
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