Chin Peng facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chin Peng
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陳平
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Chin Peng in his later years
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| Secretary-General of Malayan Communist Party | |
| In office 6 March 1947 – 2 December 1989 |
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| Preceded by | Lai Teck |
| Succeeded by | None (party dissolved) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ong Boon Hua
21 October 1924 Sitiawan, Perak, British Malaya |
| Died | 16 September 2013 (aged 88) Bangkok, Thailand |
| Nationality | Malayan |
| Political party |  Malayan Communist Party (1940–1989) |
| Spouse |
Lee Khoon Wah
(m. 1942; died 2008) |
| Children |
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| Parents |
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| Relatives | Lee Chong (nephew) |
| Occupation | Politician, guerilla leader |
| Signature |  |
Chin Peng (born Ong Boon Hua, 21 October 1924 – 16 September 2013) was a very important leader in Malayan history. He was a communist politician and a guerrilla leader. He led the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and its army, the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA), for a long time.
During World War II, he fought against the Japanese who had taken over Malaya. After the war, he led a fight against the British. He wanted Malaya to become an independent country with a socialist government. This period was called the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960).
After Malaya became independent, Chin Peng led another fight from 1968 to 1989. This was against the new government of Malaysia. This second fight ended with a peace agreement in 1989.
Chin Peng passed away in Bangkok, Thailand, when he was 88 years old.
Contents
Biography
Early Life
Chin Peng was born Ong Boon Hua on 21 October 1924. His family lived in a small town called Sitiawan in Perak state, which was then part of British Malaya. His father ran a business selling bicycles and car parts.
Chin Peng went to a Chinese school in Sitiawan. In 1937, he joined a group called the Chinese Anti Enemy Backing Up Society (AEBUS). This group helped China fight against Japan. At first, he was not a communist. He supported Sun Yat-sen, a famous Chinese leader.
By 1939, he became a communist. He wanted to go to China, but he was asked to stay in Malaya. He took on bigger roles in the new Malayan Communist Party. He left school in 1940 to focus fully on his political work. In January 1940, he officially joined the Malayan Communist Party.
He moved around different towns like Kuala Kangsar and Ipoh for his party work. By June 1941, he was a member of the Perak State Committee.
Becoming a Leader
Chin Peng became well-known during World War II. Many Chinese people in Malaya went into the jungle to fight the Japanese. These fighters were called the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA). Chin Peng helped connect the MPAJA with the British military.
The Japanese invaded Malaya in December 1941. By 1943, Chin Peng was in charge of the Perak State Committee. He worked with a British commando group called Force 136. He helped them fight the Japanese.
Because of his help during the war, Chin Peng received awards from Britain. He was even given an OBE, though it was later taken back. He became the leader of the Malayan Communist Party in 1947. This happened after the previous leader, Lai Tek, was found to be a spy for both the British and the Japanese.
Before the Emergency
In 1948, the British changed how Malaya was governed. The Malayan Communist Party (CPM) felt this new plan was unfair. They thought it favored the rich and was not democratic. The CPM believed the people were still recovering from the war. So, they did not want to start another armed fight right away.
Some people thought the CPM got secret orders from Russia to start a rebellion. Chin Peng said this was not true. He said the CPM was planning for a guerrilla war, but thought they had more time.
However, in June 1948, the government made trade unions illegal. This caused more tension. There were also some killings of people who worked against the communist cause. The British believed the communists were starting more violence.
The Emergency (1948–1989)
On 16 June 1948, three European plantation managers were killed. This event led the British to declare a state of emergency in Malaya. Many historians believe this was a quick reaction to the growing problems.
Chin Peng said he did not know about these killings beforehand. He barely escaped being arrested himself. He became the most wanted person by the British government. They offered a large reward for his capture. In July 1948, the CPM offices were raided, and many suspected communists were arrested. The CPM was then banned.
Because of this, the CPM told its members to go into the jungle and fight again. They formed a new army called the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA). In the beginning, the MNLA was not well organized. Chin Peng tried to get control over the army. He wanted them to use a strategy like Mao Zedong's, but it did not work well.
The CPM also lost support from ordinary people. They had hoped people would help them, like during World War II. When this did not happen, they sometimes used force to get what they needed. The British government also called them "bandits" and "communist terrorists."
Briggs Plan
In 1950, a new plan was introduced by General Harold Rawdon Briggs. It was called the Briggs Plan. This plan aimed to stop the guerrillas by cutting off their food and information. It created "New Villages" where people were moved. This made it very hard for the CPM to get supplies. Chin Peng later said he almost starved many times during this period.
The CPM then decided to change their strategy. They wanted to stop sabotage and get closer to middle-class people. Chin Peng later said this was a mistake. It allowed the British to keep attacking the MNLA.
After General Briggs, Sir Gerald Templer became the new commander. He used even tougher methods. These included questioning people, limiting food, and offering big rewards for capturing or killing communists. In 1953, the CPM moved its main base to Betong in southern Thailand.
By 1954, the war was stuck. Neither side could win completely. The CPM leadership in China suggested a new idea. They said the party should stop fighting and join other groups to work for Malayan independence legally. Chin Peng and his team agreed. They saw that other politicians were achieving more for independence. Also, China and the Soviet Union thought the armed struggle in Malaya was not working.
Baling Talks
On 24 September 1955, Chin Peng offered to talk about peace. The talks happened on 28 and 29 December 1955, in Baling, Kedah. The government was represented by Tunku Abdul Rahman, David Marshall, and Sir Cheng Lock Tan. Chin Peng and two other CPM leaders represented their side.
The first day of talks did not go well. Chin Peng wanted the CPM to be a legal party again. He also wanted his fighters to be free without being arrested. Tunku Abdul Rahman said the CPM must surrender completely. He promised that those who surrendered would be helped to return to normal life.
Chin Peng argued that people should have the freedom to choose their political path. Tunku Abdul Rahman disagreed. On the second day, Chin Peng said the CPM would stop fighting if the government got control over internal security and defense from the British. Tunku Abdul Rahman accepted this challenge. He promised to push for it in London.
This challenge helped Tunku Abdul Rahman in his talks with the British. The British agreed to give Malaya independence by 31 August 1957. Chin Peng believed his challenge helped speed up Malaya's independence. Tunku Abdul Rahman also said that the Baling talks led directly to independence.
However, the talks ended without an agreement. This was a big blow for the CPM. They lost hope, and many members started to surrender. By 1958, the MNLA had lost most of its fighters.
In 1959, the CPM decided to reduce their activities. Chin Peng moved to southern Thailand with the remaining fighters. The British officially declared the Emergency over on 31 July 1960.
The Second Insurgency (1968-1989)
In 1961, Chin Peng and other CPM leaders went to Beijing, China. They wanted advice from the Chinese Communist Party. Chin Peng stayed in Beijing for 29 years. The CPM decided to start fighting again. This was partly because of advice from Vietnamese communist leaders and China's Cultural Revolution.
Deng Xiaoping, a Chinese leader, told Chin Peng to continue the armed struggle in Malaya. He even promised money to the CPM. This was the first time the CPM accepted foreign help. With this money, the second armed struggle began in 1968.
Back in Malaya, the government had declared the Emergency over. But the fighting continued. The CPM attacked military groups and police. The Malaysian government spent a lot of money on defense. They also asked British, Australian, and New Zealand troops to stay.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the CPM became more active. But there were also problems within the party. In 1980, China's leader Deng Xiaoping changed his focus. He met with Lee Kuan Yew, the Prime Minister of Singapore. Deng then told Chin Peng to close down all the CPM's radio stations that were broadcasting from China to Malaysia.
The Malaysian Prime Ministers, Tun Abdul Razak and later Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, also talked to Chinese leaders. They asked China to stop supporting the CPM. This was a big reason why the CPM decided to end its armed struggle.
The End of the Emergency
The CPM finally stopped fighting in 1989. Many people died during the conflict.
On 2 December 1989, Chin Peng and other CPM leaders met with representatives from the Malaysian and Thai governments in Hat Yai, Thailand. They signed peace agreements. One part of the agreement was that CPM members from Malaya could return to live in Malaysia.
When the fighting stopped, there were 1,188 CPM members. They were given some money and promised they could return to normal life in Malaysia.
Chin Peng believed that peace could have happened much earlier, in 1955. He thought if the British and Malayan leaders had allowed the fighters to give up their weapons peacefully and return to normal life, the war would have ended sooner.
Trying to Return to Malaysia
Chin Peng never officially returned to Malaysia after the 1989 peace agreement. He continued to live in Thailand. In 2004, he visited Singapore to give lectures.
In the early 2000s, he asked for permission to return to Malaysia. But his request was denied by the High Court in 2005. In 2008 and 2009, his requests were rejected again. The court said he needed to show identification papers to prove his citizenship. Chin Peng said the police took his birth certificate in 1948.
The Malaysian government said his return would cause pain to families who lost loved ones during the Emergency. In November 2009, Chin Peng apologized to the victims and their families. However, the Deputy Prime Minister at the time, Muhyiddin Yassin, still said Chin Peng could not return.
Death
Chin Peng died from cancer in Bangkok, Thailand, on 16 September 2013. He was 88 years old. He was cremated following Buddhist traditions.
Chin Peng had wanted to be buried in his hometown of Sitiawan. But the Malaysian government did not allow his remains to be brought back. They said the time limit to apply for citizenship after the peace agreement had passed. However, in November 2019, it was announced that his ashes were secretly brought back to Malaysia on 16 September 2019. They were scattered near Chemor and at sea.
Media portrayal
In 2006, a documentary film about Chin Peng was made called The Last Communist. The Malaysian government banned it.
Another documentary film about him is called I Love Malaya.
Chronology
- 22 October 1924: Born.
- January 1940: Joined the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM).
- December 1941: Joined the fight against the Japanese.
- 1942: Met his future wife, Lee Khoon Wah.
- 1945: World War II ended.
- 6 March 1947: Elected leader (Secretary-General) of the CPM.
- 1948: The Emergency was declared; CPM was made illegal.
- Late 1950: The Briggs Plan started, moving people into "New Villages."
- 6 October 1951: Sir Henry Gurney, a British leader, was killed.
- 7 February 1952: Sir Gerald Templer became the new commander and used tough measures.
- 28 December 1955: Baling Talks were held but failed because of surrender terms.
- 1960: The Emergency was officially declared over, but fighting continued.
- 2 December 1989: A peace treaty was signed between the communists, Thailand, and Malaysia. The long war ended.
- 6–8 October 2004: Chin Peng visited Singapore for three days to speak.
- 2005: His request to return to Malaysia was rejected.
- June 2008: His attempt to return to Malaysia was again denied.
- 16 September 2013: Chin Peng passed away in a hospital in Bangkok.
Images for kids
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Chin Peng's signature
See also
In Spanish: Chin Peng para niños
