Asia

From OHA Wiki

Oral History in Asia

Oral history developed similarly in Southeast Asia as it had in Latin America, with political elites using it for nation building. Singapore’s Oral History Unit was established as part of the Ministry of Culture in 1979. Early projects within the unit sought to interview government officials and upper-level civil servants to get their expert versions of the country’s history.

Just as in many Latin American countries oral history was used in Singapore to create a national narrative of colonial exploitation that led to independence and continual progress. In 1979 the prime minister ordered the Oral History Unit to gather material that would tell this story. The interviewees consisted mainly of former members of the People’s Action Party (PAP), the nationalist political party responsible for deterring the establishment of Singapore as a communist state. Three major projects came out of the Oral History Unit: “Political Developments in Singapore 1945-1965”, “Political Developments in Singapore 1965-1975”, and “Pioneers of Singapore.” In all three projects, powerful political figures, bureaucrats, and businessmen were asked non-threatening questions that did not criticize the government or prime minister in any way. As a result, the interviews did not represent the experiences of the majority of society. The Singaporean government restricted access to the recordings and transcripts.