Singapore has been chosen as the location for the Trump-Kim summit in mid-June. The summit venue is on the island resort of Sentosa, where peace is a historical rarity, according to the National Library Board of Singapore. The Guardian noted that the island has a very dark history. They wrote that it was the site of "summary executions of large numbers of Singaporean Chinese" during World War 2 when Singapore allied forces fell to the Japanese war onslaught.
Singapore has a leisure report at Sentosa
Today there is a golf resort on the island of Sentosa next to the beaches where so much blood was shed.
Operation Sook Ching, which is what the Chinese termed the killings, were not limited to Military personnel. According to the archives of Singapore, the Japanese term was Dai Kensho, which translated, means "the great inspection."
Chinese males of ages 18 to 50 were screened and if they were suspected of anti-Japanese activities, they were executed on Sentosa. Later, it was the site of a prisoner of war camp where allied soldiers were held by the Japanese. Back then, the island was named Pulau Blakang Mati, with Blakang Mati meaning “Behind Death” in Malay.
Dark history of Trump-Kim venue continues
This was not the first time that death visited the island where the Trump-Kim summit will be held.
Records in the National Library of Singapore point out that in the early years of colonisation, a British signals station and people in the surrounding villages suffered a malady that is now thought to be malaria. Many islanders and British staff died in the 1880s.
Singapore summit on peace amid memories of war
The Trump-Kim summit is vital to world peace and given the threats of nuclear war between the two countries, America and North Korea, the world is hoping a compromise will be found.
Sentosa was the site of so much conflict between east and west that hopefully the two leaders will be reminded of the tragedy of war as they meet at the now-beautiful resort.
Resort World Singapore today touts Sentosa Island as a place where people can "explore," dream," and "discover." It is described as a fun destination for all ages.
It is popular with families and is a well-known tourist destination in the region. Santosa means "peace and tranquillity in Malay," according to Visitingsingapore.com.
Peace and tranquillity is particularly poignant a name as so much rides on the outcome of the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore.
