traditions and values are the ideas that wars are fought over, and when colonies
become involved, populations around the world put their lives on the line for the
traditions and values of a foreign culture.
This past decade the National Archives of Singapore opened two World War II
interpretive centers, located at important sites of the Battle of Singapore. These
centers were part of a trend in Singapore to move the scope of the war away from
one 'between imperialists...to that of local participation.'43 It was becoming clear
that Singaporeans wanted to honor the sacrifices made by their people, and not
whether Japan or Britain would be their colonial master. Even so, they were still
revering local participation in a war between imperialists, and there is no way
around that. Singapore has a right then to remember the brave men who fought
against Japan, but it should be remembered that imperialism brought the war
to its doorstep. Furthermore, due to the precision of British record keeping, '[i]
n spite of the intended local focus of this centre the Malay Regiment is clearly
represented through the colonial viewpoint, as evidenced by the fact that
information is sourced predominantly from British official documents.'44
Even in the case of Ireland, where one would expect the archive to show the
fiercely independent spirit of those of the closet part of the empire geographically
to Britain, the website of the National Archives of Ireland acknowledges the debt
the recorded history of Ireland has to its colonial past. 'The National Archives...
took over the functions previously performed by the State Paper Office (1702)
and the Public Record Office of Ireland (1867). The former office was established
in 1702 as a repository for records relating to the administrations of the various
Lords Lieutenant...who until that date had taken all of their records with them
on leaving office.'45 While the British may have laid the groundwork for the
National Archives, there is no mention of the recorded history in Ireland before
this date, even if it was not from the central government. Perhaps unknowingly,
or unintentionally, the National Archives of Ireland loses its grip on its history
with this type of language. The National Archives owes itself to the record
keeping of monarch-chosen leaders. Empire stripped colonies of their old history,
and replaced it with the new, British model of records as history. If one were to
subscribe to the belief that archives represent collective memory, then Ireland
would be admitting its collective memory is essentially borne of their occupation
by the British.
When a former colony becomes independent it is faced with an importance
decision regarding its colonial past. Too often this decision is overlooked, and
none is made, leaving the people with little understanding of their history aside
from being a footnote in the history of Europe's scramble for land and resources.
Too often the decisions that are made run the risk of a reactionary backlash
against anything remotely reminiscent of the colonial age. Ex-colonial nations
have tried to remove the past and regain a sense of their pure culture that existed
prior to colonialism.
36
COLONIAL LEGACY IN SOUTH EAST ASIA -
THE DUTCH ARCHIVES
43 Brunero, 'Archives and Heritage in Singapore', 430.
44 Brunero, 'Archives and Heritage in Singapore,' 435.
45 About Us: History,' National Archives of Ireland, http://www.nationalarchives.ie/aboutus/history.html,
accessed September 2, 2008.
46 Knuth, Burning Books, 128.
47 'Introduction to the holdings of the National Archives of Cambodia,' National Archives of Cambodia,
