60th Anniversary of Kuching's Liberation

Raising the Sarawak flag at the Batu Lintang Prisoner of War Camp

On this day sixty years ago, Kuching (and in effect, the whole of Sarawak) was liberated by the 9th Australian Division. After 3 years and 9 months of occupation, the people of Sarawak are finally free.

"You are all free people!" - Brigadier General Thomas C. Eastick, addressing the inmates of the Batu Lintang POW camp.

Major General Yamamura Hiyoe, Japanese commander of the Kuching area, surrendered to Eastick on board the Australian corvette, HMAS Kapunda that same afternoon. The swords of surrendered Japanese were thrown into the river at Muara Tebas, some were kept as souvenirs by the Australians.

Why raise this up? Because while people all over the world celebrate 15 August as the end of World War II, Malaysians celebrate nothing. And come September 11, we think of another incident, famous globally but not this.

This is Sarawak's Liberation Day. This is a day forgotten by all.


A Sarawak-related Post by Matthew