"The Japanese Occupation was a boost to the nationalist movement in Southeast Asia." Do you agree? Explain your answer. [13]

Introduction:
The period of Japanese Occupation brought a lot of suffering to the ordinary people. However, in the long term, the short period of Japanese rule brought about changes to the colonial situation. This was certainly the case for the various nationalist movements.

Main Body:
One way in which the Japanese helped the nationalist movements was breaking the myth about the superiority of the European powers. By defeating the Europeans and subjecting them to humiliation, it brought home the message that Europeans were no different from the locals. Once the locals realised this, their fear for their colonial masters would diminish. They would no longer accept the rule of the colonial masters without question.
The psychological shift had taken place.

The Japanese also provided official support to the nationalist movements. In Indonesia, the support given by the Japanese was very impactful. Firstly, they released the Indonesian nationalist leaders like Soekarno, Hatta and Sjahrir. Next, they allowed the local leaders to hold mass rallies, which provided a great opportunity to promote nationalism. Local Indonesians were also involved in the government processes, which would provide valuable experiences in running the country. The establishment of PETA, which was sponsored by the Japanese, helped to build up the military strength of the nationalist movement. The youths were also mobilised by the Japanese-sponsored Pemuda Movement. For Malaya, the Japanese provided assistance to the Indian nationalist movement by setting up the Indian National Army. This raised consciousness of the Indians regarding their future.

Unconsciously, the Japanese could have helped to strengthen the position of the nationalist movements. In Vietnam, the arrest of the French in March 1945 created a power vacuum, as the Japanese did not send enough officials to administer the place. As a result, the Viet Minh seized the opportunity to take control of some areas, especially in the North. This made it difficult for the French to retake Vietnam. In Indonesia, the vague promises made by the Japanese to grant independence. This led to discussions among nationalist leaders on the structure of an independent Indonesia. Eventually, when the Japanese surrendered, the Indonesians were prepared and confident enough to declare their independence. Again, this would make it difficult for the Dutch to re-take Indonesia. In Malaya, the ill-treatment of the Chinese actually united the Chinese to be anti-Japanese and thus, developed a sense of unity that was important for any nationalist movement.

However, the Japanese did provide some obstacles for certain nationalist movements to achieve their aims.

One of these obstacles was the divide-and-rule policy. The practise of this policy was most evident in Malaya. The Japanese would deliberately ill-treat the Chinese population while the Malay and Indian population would receive better treatment. This would strain relations among the three ethnic groups and thus, depriving the Malayan nationalist movement the unity needed to make progress. The nationalist movement remained fragmented along racial lines as a result of Japanese rule. Even in Vietnam, the Japanese would make use of religious groups such as Cao Dai and Hoa Hao to counter the influence of the communists over the Vietnamese people.