10. Civilian War Memorial (by Jacelyn)

The Civilian War Memorial is also known as the ‘chopsticks’, and it was built to honour civilians who were killed during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore between 15 February 1942 to 12 September 1945.

The four identical pillars rise to a pinnacle of 92.5 metres, represent the Chinese, Malays, Indians, and Eurasians who died in the war, and serve as a remembrance of the shared experiences and struggles of the four major races of Singapore during World War II. The remains of unidentified war victims are buried just beneath the monument.

In conjunction with the annual Total Defence Day, a memorial service is held at this site on every February the 15th to commemorate the Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore to the Japanese in 1942. This serves as a reminder to every Singaporean the importance of being united in defending the country.

The memorial was erected after remains of the victims, who had perished in the Sook Ching Operations executed by the Japanese Military Police (Kempeitai) in 21 February 1942, were discovered in 1962. These operations were aimed to purge or eliminate all Chinese who were suspected of being anti-Japanese. The number of victims in this massacre was estimated to be between 25,000 to 50,000.

The memorial was unveiled by the then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew on the 15 February 1967, 25 years after the fall of Singapore.

The Civilian War Memorial is located in the east of the Padang.

Erm...

Our respects to the victims of the Japanese Occupation...