Jesselton revolt

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the revolt in North Borneo. For the incident during the Japanese occupation in Singapore, see
Double Tenth Incident
.

Jesselton revolt
British North Borneo
Result

Japanese victory.

Belligerents Kinabalu Guerrillas Defence Forces  Empire of Japan
 • Occupied British BorneoCommanders and leaders Albert Kwok Surrendered (POW)
Hiew Syn Yong
Kong Tze Phui Surrendered (POW)
Li Tet Phui Surrendered (POW)
Tsen Tsau Kong Surrendered (POW)
Charles Peter Surrendered (POW)
Jules Stephens Surrendered (POW)
Budh Singh Surrendered (POW)
Sohan Singh Surrendered (POW)
Panglima Ali Surrendered (POW)
Orang Tua Arshad Surrendered (POW)
Musah
Duallis
Jemalul
Saruddin Surrendered (POW)
Subedar Dewa Singh ShimizuUnits involved

Overseas Chinese Defence Association
 • Chinese National Salvation Association
North Borneo Volunteer Force
North Bornean indigenous volunteers
Philippine indigenous volunteers
Members of Indian Imperial Police

Limited arms support:

United States Forces in the Philippines
Kenpeitai
Strength 100
Sikh Indian
≈Hundreds Japanese police (1943)
≈Thousands Japanese troops (post 1943)Casualties and losses 324 resistance members killed 50–90 police/soldiers killed[note 2] 2,000–4,000 civilians massacred by the Japanese

The Jesselton revolt (also known as the Jesselton uprising or the Double Tenth Revolt/Incident) was a revolt by a

Jesselton, North Borneo and led by Albert Kwok, against the Japanese occupying forces of North Borneo
.

The movement succeeded in killing around 50–90 Japanese police and soldiers and temporarily took control of

Kenpeitai then launched attacks against coastal settlements in western North Borneo to find the leader and members of the guerrilla force, with many innocent civilians suffering the various atrocities that have become synonymous with Japanese conquest in the Pacific War
.

The leader of the revolt finally decided to surrender following Japanese threats to execute more civilians if the guerrillas did not turn themselves in. Following the arrest and subsequent execution of the rebel alliance, the Japanese returned to administer North Borneo until 1945 when the main Allied liberation mission arrived.

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Background

Albert Kwok, the main leader of Kinabalu Guerrillas.

Due to persistently harsh rule under the Japanese occupation, resistance against the Japanese developed, especially on the west coast of North Borneo, where a revolt was led by

piles.[4][7]

In February 1942, Kwok wanted to establish contact with the Australians or Americans in eastern North Borneo, but he was unable to continue his trek by foot across the island jungle when he reached

Lieutenant Colonel Alejandro Suarez, learning of resistance movement operations in the Philippine archipelago.[8][11][12]

In May 1943, Kwok returned to Jesselton greatly determined to liberate North Borneo. Upon arrival, he first contacted the

US army and was commissioned as a Lieutenant on 1 July 1943.[14] Upon his second return to North Borneo, Kwok arrived with three pistols, a box of hand grenades, and a promise to be given more weapons.[15] However, in the end, he could not induce the guerrillas in the Sulu Archipelago to send more firearms, and he was forced to launch a revolt with limited supplies.[16] A resistance group under his leadership was then established on 21 September 1943, with the group calling themselves the Chinese National Salvation Association (CNSA),[17] a branch of the OCDA.[16] With collaboration between the Chinese and indigenous peoples, the group was subsequently known as Kinabalu Guerrillas Defence Force.[11][18]

Uprising

A plate commemorating the 324 fallen resistance members as well as victims of Japanese massacre in Petagas.

As the date of execution for a pending Japanese decree to seize any in opposition to the Japanese administration loomed closer, the resistance group was forced to launch their revolt ahead of schedule. With many of his members armed with only

melee weapons such as parang, spear and kris,[19] the movement launched their attack from 9 October 1943 and temporarily retook Jesselton, Tuaran, and Kota Belud from the Japanese, leaving around 50–90 casualties on the Japanese side.[20][21][22]

In the combined land and sea attack on the Japanese, most inhabitants of the islands around the coastal areas contributed ships to the movement. Native

Mantanani and the Dinawan Islands.[24]

From land, the revolt was supported by native

Dusun of Gana community and Duallis for the Murut, as well as members of the Indian Imperial Police led by Constable Subedar Dewa Singh,[23] and administration and police members of the former colonial authorities of North Borneo, mostly serving under the aegis of the North Borneo Volunteer Force (NBVF) led by Jules Stephens and Charles Peter,[23] as well as Sergeant Bud Singh and Corporal Sohan Singh.[25]

After the successful revolt, the resistance movement under OCDA and NBVF jointly hoisted the flag of the Republic of China and Union Jack on 10 October 1943.[8] Most of the members of the OCDA were loyal to the Republic of China while the NBVF remained loyal to the United Kingdom, although the NBVF was not even recognised by the British government.[8]

With Imperial Japanese reinforcements from

national anthem of the Republic of China on 12 November 1943.[8]

Aftermath and legacy

The Petagas War Memorial built on the site of execution to honour the sacrifices of Kinabalu Guerrillas.

Following the arrival of Japanese reinforcements, the Japanese authorities subsequently launched a ruthless counter-offensive by bombing coastal settlements from

Suluk civilian population.[27][28] After threatening to kill more civilians if the leaders of the uprising did not turn themselves in, Kwok finally surrendered under duress, along with several of his top officers. In all, Kwok and some 175 people who for the most part had nothing to do with the uprising were executed by the Japanese on 21 January 1944 in Petagas, Putatan.[17]

After the war, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE) set up in 1946 to prosecute the many Japanese war crimes concluded that during the resistance movement led by the Chinese and indigenous peoples in North Borneo, the Kenpeitai had been involved in a reign of terror, arresting, torturing, and massacring hundreds of Chinese rebels while systematically exterminating the coastal population of Suluk people.[29][30] The sacrifice of the movement was honoured with a memorial in Petagas, the Petagas War Memorial, today just east of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

Notes

  1. Bajau-Binadan-Suluk/Dusun-Murut
    .
  2. ^ Including unspecified numbers of Formosan civilians serving with the Japanese at the time.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Tarling 2001, p. 196.
  2. ^ Ham 2013, p. 166.
  3. ^ a b Tregonning 1960, p. 88.
  4. ^ a b Danny 1998, p. 154.
  5. ^ Goodwin 1953, p. 31.
  6. ^ Evans 1990, p. 50.
  7. ^ Julitta 2005, p. 312.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Kratoska 2013, p. 124.
  9. ^ Reece 1998, p. 162.
  10. ^ Julitta 2005, p. 318.
  11. ^ a b Evans 1990, p. 52.
  12. ^ Dick 1983, p. 55.
  13. ^ Evans 1990, p. 51.
  14. ^ Julitta 2005, p. 328.
  15. ^ Kratoska 2013, p. 125.
  16. ^ a b Tregonning 1960, p. 89.
  17. ^ a b Danny 2004, p. 116.
  18. ^ Kratoska 2013, p. 128.
  19. ^ Abbas & Bali 1985, p. 159.
  20. ^ Kratoska 2013, p. 111.
  21. ^ Luping, Chin & Dingley 1978, p. 40.
  22. ^ a b Ooi 1999, p. 56.
  23. ^ a b c Ooi 2010, p. 164.
  24. ^ Dick 1983, p. 47.
  25. ^ Hwang 2010.
  26. ^ Ooi 2010, p. 186.
  27. ^ Ooi 2013, p. 77.
  28. ^ Kratoska 2013, p. 113.
  29. ^ Watt 1985, p. 210.
  30. ^ Thurman & Sherman 2001, p. 123.

References

Further reading

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