Ahead of the Japanese invasion of Rabaul, New Guinea, in 1942, Australians evacuated the Europeans but left the Chinese behind, after which they suffered three years of brutality in a Japanese labour camp.
“History depends on who writes it and nobody has written it from our point of view,” he said.
“It’s called Needed But Not Wanted. They were needed as labourers but not wanted because of the colour bar,” he told SBS News.“Australia inherited them but they weren’t a welcome inheritance because the Germans were sent back to Germany, and the Chinese stayed on and the Australians scratched their heads and said what are we going to do with this lot.”
Hundreds of Chinese civilians like Mr Mak were captured and they witnessed more than three years of Japanese depravity - executions, forced labour and rape.“And everyday they were looking for woman, they want woman. What can you do? Stick with your family and survive.” They dug tunnels into hillsides as air raid shelters, sometimes coming under attack from Allied planes.
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