Chinese sources list the total number of military and non-military casualties, both dead and wounded, at 35 million. Most Western historians believed the total number of victims was at least 20 million. Operation Sook Ching was a Japanese military operation aimed at eliminating or eliminating anti-Japanese elements from the Chinese community in Singapore. From February 21 to March 4, 1942, Chinese males between the ages of 18 and 50 were summoned to various mass screening centers, and those suspected of being anti-Japanese were executed. Reasons for Operation Sook Ching is a Chinese term meaning "purging through cleansing". .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Japanese term for the operation was Dai Kensho, meaning “great inspection.” There were several possible reasons why the Japanese military carried out the operation First, the Japanese military was suspicious of the Chinese in Singapore due to long-standing tensions between Japan and China and their own experiences of fighting the Chinese in China since 1937. Second, many Japanese commanders and soldiers were veterans of campaigns in other parts of Asia where violence and executions were regularly used as tools to keep the civilian population under control. Third, the Japanese wanted to prevent anti-Japanese elements from interfering with their occupation of Singapore after encountering resistance from Chinese volunteers and guerrillas during the war. Malayan Campaign (1941-1942).Directive. Shortly after the Japanese occupation of Singapore, Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita issued a directive ordering the Chinese population to report to designated screening areas. The directive targeted five main categories of Chinese:5(1) members of the volunteer forces; (2) communists; (3) looters; (4) those who possess damage; and (5) those whose names appeared on anti-Japanese suspect lists maintained by Japanese intelligence. In line with the directive, instructions were issued to Japanese officers on how the operation was to be carried out. Japanese officers were instructed to select all "anti-Japanese elements", segregate them, and secretly eliminate them. How the operation was performed. After the directive was issued, notices and posters were put up informing Chinese males between the ages of 18 and 50 to report to designated screening centers. Men also went around with loudspeakers to spread the news. These screening centers were located throughout the island, especially in areas such as Chinatown, where many Chinese resided. Screening was mainly carried out by the Kempeitai (Japanese military police) in urban areas and by the Imperial Guard Division in other districts. Initially the plan called for the operation to take place from 21 to 23 February 1942. It was later extended until 4 March. The screening process was unsystematic and disorganized. Decisions about who was anti-Japanese were based on the whims of the people doing the screening. Oral eyewitness accounts describe different screening methods used at various centers. In some centers, victims were selected based on their occupation, answers to questions or whether they had tattoos. In other centers, hooded informants pointed to men who were allegedly criminals or anti-Japanese elements. Men who were lucky enough to pass the screening process were allowed to leave the centers. They were provided with proof of their clearance in the form of a.