communist, pro-communist, crypto communist etc

[scroobal]

Know why it is difficult to name or tag a communist during that era accurately?

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

Let me bite, why?

Funnily enough, I gather the authorities missed out on the Plen when he was once right in front of their eyes at the press office

 

[myjohnson]

Know why it is difficult to name or tag a communist during that era accurately?

You can't tag a thief a thief when you sleep on the same bed or use the same toilet as he does.

 

[scroobal]

Let me bite, why?

Funnily enough, I gather the authorities missed out on the Plen when he was once right in front of their eyes at the press office

Communist operated their clandestine operations in cells. A typical cell averaged about 5 to 6 members with 3 being the minimum and 7 the maximum. The indoctrination is carried out by a cadre who also leads the cell lasts about 9mths to a year where meetings are fixed and regular usually at a minimum of once a week. On completion, the oath of eternal allegiance is taken.

As a rule, no one says that they are communist or reveal details of fellow cell members of when they became one even when they meet at communist events. If caught, you only can only reveal a maximum of 6 other jokers as that is all you know.

As such, unless you are in the same cell with someone and or was present at the oath taking, you will never be sure who are full fledged communist. So you end up with pro-communist, crypto communist labels.

Intercepted documents such a central committee meeting are the other sure way of identifying communists based on the attendees attending. That only identifies the top but not the rank and file.

The cell leader is usually a die hard steely person that will not breakdown under interrogation so the links between cells or higher up the organisation cannot be ascertained.

Prior to the Japanese Occupation, Special Branch managed to secure the Singapore Town Committee namelist but after that they had not been lucky.

That the primary reason why Chin Peng in his memoirs can gloss over the issues on membership and singapore communist as there were no membership list per se.

The intelligence agencies will usually go by a series of consistent conduct to tag someone and if lucky the confession of a fellow cell member will nail it for sure.

At that time, left wing politics was in vogue in intelligentsia and therefore it became very difficult to make anyone form of accurate identification. john eber, gerald d'cruz, Eu, Sharma, lim Hong Bee etc were known communist because they were very open about it. The bulk of them visiting the queen street CPM office frequently as it was for a short time after the war a legal organisation. Plen revealed himself for the purpose of negotiations and showed his bon fides by removing a communist from workers party.

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

Yes I read about this sort of procedure in Lee Ting Hui's materials on the United Front,CPM and STC. Quite dry stuff but some nuggets in between.

Btw I just recalled reading somewhere that LKY was actually prepared to allow the Plen to return but only on the same conditions that enabled Sharma and Eu to finally return to S'pore. Apparently the Plen was not prepared to agree to such conditions, which is strange since this was way after the final peace agreements in Thailand in 89' which effectively closed the chapter on the CPM and the fall of communism in Russia and opening up of PRC. Oh and Eu's story is perhaps made more compelling by the fact that Prof. Silcock apparently stated that the brightest students to come from Raffles College during that ear were Goh Keng Swee and Eu.

At that time, left wing politics was in vogue in intelligentsia and therefore it became very difficult to make anyone form of accurate identification. john eber, gerald d'cruz, Eu, Sharma, lim Hong Bee etc were known communist because they were very open about it. The bulk of them visiting the queen street CPM office frequently as it was for a short time after the war a legal organisation. Plen revealed himself for the purpose of negotiations and showed his bon fides by removing a communist from workers party.

 

[scroobal]

Btw I just recalled reading somewhere that LKY was actually prepared to allow the Plen to return but only on the same conditions that enabled Sharma and Eu to finally return to S'pore. Apparently the Plen was not prepared to agree to such conditions, which is strange since this was way after the final peace agreements in Thailand in 89' which effectively closed the chapter on the CPM and the fall of communism in Russia and opening up of PRC. Oh and Eu's story is perhaps made more compelling by the fact that Prof. Silcock apparently stated that the brightest students to come from Raffles College during that ear were Goh Keng Swee and Eu.

Yes, Plen did not agree to ISD debriefing or conditions to be attached. He however managed to get the govt to agree to hire his son.

Eu was effectively bilingual and became the bridge between english and chinese communists. However the brightest were Lim Hong Bee, Kean Chye and Eber all from cambridge. In many ways it was the battle of the minds.

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

Perhaps we should also not forget the contributions of Linda Chen (although not of intellectual level of Toots Lim, Eber, Puthucheary and Eu). Tan Jing Quee appears to have paticipated alot in paying tribute to his dying comrades of the left, wonder whether he has any nuggets to share, although it looks like he is keeping mum and only trying counter LKY's version of history.

Eu was effectively bilingual and became the bridge between english and chinese communists. However the brightest were Lim Hong Bee, Kean Chye and Eber all from cambridge. In many ways it was the battle of the minds.

 

[scroobal]

Perhaps we should also not forget the contributions of Linda Chen (although not of intellectual level of Toots Lim, Eber, Puthucheary and Eu). Tan Jing Quee appears to have paticipated alot in paying tribute to his dying comrades of the left, wonder whether he has any nuggets to share, although it looks like he is keeping mum and only trying counter LKY's version of history.

Women's Federation was one of the earliest communist front organisation, it is not clear what part Linda Chen played. As for Tan Jing Quee, he is now the custodian of memories and chief orbituary writer of those personalities.

One must be also be aware that none of them has expressed regret for the atrocities committed on civilians during the period of the emergency and that includes ChinPeng. There were also 2 purges within the communist ranks in the jungles that led to hundreds of execution merely on the basis of accusation. Chin Peng has absolved himself by stating that he was already in Beijing and was not aware of what had transpired even though the leadership of the CPM is still retained by him until the very end and after.

At the end of the day, all have clung tightly to the romantic notion of freedom frighters and not a single one has admitted that wrongs have been committed.

Slitting open the belly of pregnant rubber tappers or the decapitating of a tin mine worker to instill fear and ensure ready cooperation is not exactly fight for freedom. These are not figment of one's imagination but things that have occurred across the communist world.

The day, the likes of Tan Jing Quee and company who appear very free with pen and paper acknowledge the excess of their cause, then I suppose a middle ground can be found.

Not many people are aware that while sons and daughters of peasants in the main were sacrificed in the jungles of Malaysia, Chin Peng's son went on to become a successful lawyer. The same became true for sons and daughters of many of those who chose the path of communism and led the sons and daughter of the less educated to a sorry end.








i

 

[myjohnson]

So who are psychopaths? Broadly speaking, they are people who use manipulation, violence and intimidation to control others and satisfy selfish needs. They can be intelligent and highly charismatic, but display a chronic inability to feel guilt, remorse or anxiety about any of their actions.

Rick Nauert Ph.D

Years derived of freedom, what words can describe the torture to mind and body to those who had endured in silence and in the twilight of their lives yearn for nothing more than to come home. Sadly for them, justice will only served in future historical revelations and vindications.

 

[Adidas]

presently only 2 hardcore communist/socialism countries - Cuba and North Korea.
China and Russia,though a they are communist but due to the force of the market and changing in the world,they also have to open up and accept some of those so call - Capatilism's stuffs.

 

[kakowi]

Thank you for your threads. They are very educational and insightful.

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

Yes I agree, a reasonable balanced history is what I am looking for, not a romanticised version from either side. In fact quite afew M'sians took great umbrage when Chin Peng came out with his side of the story without taking responsibility for the violent bloody atrocities. Also lots of these M'sians appear unwilling to forgive the CPM which is understandable.

I suppose it may have to take an intrepid committed historian(s) to unravel the long standing mysteries, perhaps being fed information (hopefully with documents and diaries) from families of the key players together with declassified governement documents, particularly the ones still being withheld. Perhaps when all the key players and ancillary acolytes have finally passed on, this may indeed come about. The recent release of papers by Tun Dr Ismail's family gives rise to some hope.

One must be also be aware that none of them has expressed regret for the atrocities committed on civilians during the period of the emergency and that includes ChinPeng. There were also 2 purges within the communist ranks in the jungles that led to hundreds of execution merely on the basis of accusation. Chin Peng has absolved himself by stating that he was already in Beijing and was not aware of what had transpired even though the leadership of the CPM is still retained by him until the very end and after.

At the end of the day, all have clung tightly to the romantic notion of freedom frighters and not a single one has admitted that wrongs have been committed.

Slitting open the belly of pregnant rubber tappers or the decapitating of a tin mine worker to instill fear and ensure ready cooperation is not exactly fight for freedom. These are not figment of one's imagination but things that have occurred across the communist world.

The day, the likes of Tan Jing Quee and company who appear very free with pen and paper acknowledge the excess of their cause, then I suppose a middle ground can be found.

i

 

[Ramseth]

Of the few communist countries left today, can we classify them into market communism (China, Vietnam) and hermit communism (North Korea, Cuba)?