Malayan Emergency facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Malayan Emergency Darurat Malaya 馬來亞緊急狀態 மலாயா அவசரகாலம்
Part of the decolonization of Asia and Cold War in Asia
Clockwise from top left: Australian Avro Lincoln bomber dropping 500lb bombs Communist leader Lee Meng in 1952 RAF staff loads bombs to be used against communist rebels King's African Rifles search abandoned hut Civilians forcefully evicted from their land by the British as part of the Briggs' Plan
Date 16 June 1948 – 31 July 1960 (12 years, 1 month, 2 weeks and 1 day) Location British Malaya Result British Allied Victory Independence of the Federation of Malaya on 31 August 1957 CPM retreats to the Malayan-Thai border Insurgency continues (1968-1989) Conflict resolved through the Peace Agreement of Hat Yai (1989)
Belligerents
British Empire and Commonwealth forces:  United Kingdom Federation of Malaya  Singapore Kenya  Southern Rhodesia (until 1953)  Rhodesia and Nyasaland (after 1953) Fiji  Australia  New Zealand Supported by:  Thailand (Thai–Malaysian border)  United States	Communist forces: Malayan Communist Party Malayan National Liberation Army
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom Clement Attlee (until 1951) Winston Churchill (1951–1955) Anthony Eden (1955–1957) Harold Macmillan (1957–1960) Harold Briggs Roy Urquhart Edward Gent Henry Gurney  † Gerald Templer William Goode Malaya Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan Tunku Abdul Rahman Tun Razak Tun Ismail Singapore David Marshall Lim Yew Hock Yusof Ishak Lee Kuan Yew Australia Robert Menzies Henry Wells New Zealand Sidney Holland (1951–1957) Walter Nash (1957–1960)	Malayan Communist Party Chin Peng Yeung Kwo  † Lee An Tong Chang Ling-Yun Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) Abdullah CD Rashid Maidin Shamsiah Fakeh S. A. Ganapathy  Lau Yew  † Mat Indera  Lee Meng Toh Kar Lim
Strength
Over 451,000 troops. 250,000 Malayan Home Guard (Malayan Regiment) troops 40,000 regular Commonwealth personnel King's African Rifles Gurkha regiments 37,000 Special Constables 24,000 Federation Police Unknown number of Orang Asli allies. Unknown number of Iban (Dayak) headhunters	Over 7,000 troops. + 7,000 MNLA full-time troops (1951). + Estimated 1,000,000 sympathisers. + Several hundred former Japanese troops Unknown number of Orang Asli allies. Unknown number of Min Yuen civilian supporters.
Casualties and losses
1,443 killed 1,346 killed 2,406 wounded 39 killed 15 killed	6,710 killed 1,289 wounded 1,287 captured 2,702 surrendered
Civilians killed: 2,478 Civilians missing: 810 Civilian casualties: 5,000+ Total killed: 11,107

The Malayan Emergency was a long fight in British Malaya from 1948 to 1960. It was also called the Anti–British National Liberation War. This conflict was a guerrilla war, meaning small groups used surprise attacks.

The main groups fighting were the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces of the Federation of Malaya, the British Empire, and the Commonwealth. The MNLA were communist fighters who wanted Malaya to be independent from British rule. They also wanted to create a socialist economy. On the other side, the Malayan Federation and Commonwealth forces fought to stop communism and protect British business interests. The British called it an "Emergency" instead of a "war." This was because insurance companies in London would not pay out money if it was officially a civil war.

The Start of the Conflict

The fighting began on June 17, 1948. Britain declared a state of emergency in Malaya. This happened after attacks on farms, which were revenge for earlier killings of activists.

Communist Fighters and Their Goals

The leader of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), Chin Peng, and his allies went into the jungles. There, they formed the MNLA. Their goal was to fight for national liberation against British rule. Many MNLA fighters had experience from the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA). This was a communist guerrilla army that the British had trained and armed to fight Japan during World War II.

The communists gained support from many civilians, especially from the Chinese community. The communists believed in class consciousness and equality for all ethnic groups and genders. This idea inspired many women and Orang Asli (indigenous people) to join the MNLA. They also joined the Min Yuen, a secret network that supplied the fighters. Some former Japanese soldiers also joined the MNLA.

Early Attacks by the MNLA

The MNLA set up bases in the jungle. From these bases, they started attacking British police and military sites. They also attacked mines, farms, and trains. Their aim was to make it too expensive for the British to stay in Malaya, hoping to win independence.

British Actions and Strategies

The British used several methods to try and defeat the MNLA. They tried to cut off the MNLA's food supply. This included rationing food, killing livestock, and spraying chemicals like Agent Orange from the air.

Controversial Tactics and Civilian Impact

Some British actions were very harsh. There were reports of British forces harming unarmed villagers without trial. A well-known event was the Batang Kali massacre. Some news reports compared it to the Mỹ Lai massacre that happened later in Vietnam.

The Briggs Plan was another major British strategy. It forced between 400,000 and 1,000,000 civilians to move into special camps called "New villages." Many Orang Asli communities were also forced into these camps. The British believed these groups were helping the communists.

After the Emergency Ended

The Malayan Emergency officially ended in 1960. However, the conflict was not completely over.

Continued Insurgency

Communist leader Chin Peng started fighting again in 1968. This second phase of the insurgency was against the new Malaysian government. It lasted until 1989.

Long-Term Effects and Investigations

The Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation (1963–66) happened because of tensions between Indonesia and the new Federation of Malaysia. Malaysia was formed after the Malayan Emergency.

Later, in the 1960s, news about the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War led to investigations in the UK. People wanted to know about wrongdoings by British forces during the Malayan Emergency, like the Batang Kali massacre. So far, no British forces have been charged. The British government has often said these claims are just propaganda, even though there is evidence that some things were hidden.

After the Emergency ended in 1960, the MNLA, which was mostly made up of ethnic Chinese people, moved to the Malaysian-Thailand border. They regrouped and trained for future attacks. The new phase of fighting began on June 17, 1968. This was when the MCP attacked security forces in Kroh–Betong. This new conflict also happened during a time of tension between ethnic Malays and Chinese people.

Remembering the Conflict

Communist leader Chin Peng spent many years sharing his side of the story. He worked with academics and met with historians. This led to a book called Dialogues with Chin Peng: New Light on the Malayan Communist Party. He also wrote his autobiography, Alias Chin Peng: My Side of History.

Many old government papers, possibly about British actions in Malaya, were either destroyed or hidden. This was part of something called Operation Legacy. Some of these hidden documents were found during a legal case in 2011.

Images for kids

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  Commonwealth leaflet dropped in Malaya, offering a reward for a Bren gun.

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  Workers on a rubber farm travel safely with Special Constables in 1950.

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  Police officers talking to a civilian during the Malayan Emergency.

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  Malayan Police on patrol near Temenggor in 1953.

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  "C" Squadron, a unit from Southern Rhodesia, in Malaya in 1953.

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  Newspaper headline from 1952 about Chin Peng, called "Public Enemy No.1".

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  British artillery firing at MNLA fighters in the Malayan jungle in 1955.

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  The National Monument honors those who died fighting for freedom in Malaysia, including during the Malayan Emergency.

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  Jungle uniform of the 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry used in the Emergency.

See also

• Batang Kali massacre
• Battle of Semur River
• Briggs Plan
• British Far East Command
• British war crimes#Malaya
• Bukit Kepong incident
• Chin Peng
• Cold War in Asia
• Communist insurgency in Malaysia (1968–89)
• Far East Strategic Reserve (FESR)
• History of Malaysia
• List of weapons in Malayan Emergency
• Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army
• New village