Virtual Event: The Civilian Internment - Tues, March 22

Presented by the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association. Register by clicking here.

Beginning in December 1941 well over 100,000 Allied civilians across China and Southeast Asia were taken prisoner by the Japanese, including entire families. Although at the outset these civilians were in general not treated quite as harshly as were military POWs, their internment was extremely unpleasant, and for many, deteriorated drastically later in the war. Some 2,800 civilians, among them a number of Canadians, were interned in Hong Kong.

Our two speakers, Martin Heyes of Hong Kong and Julien Lehoux of Montreal, will tell you about Hong Kong’s civilian internees and how they lived during their imprisonment, the complex negotiations to repatriate the Canadians among them, and the impacts on their lives after their return to Canada.

PLEASE NOTE: this event begins at 7:30am Hong Kong time, Tuesday, March 22. Be sure to adjust for your time zone!

Questions are welcome! You may submit them in advance by email to events@hkvca.ca or by using the "Q & A" function of Zoom during the presentation.