Operation Coldstore

Operation Coldstore
Part of the Cold War in Asia
Operational scopeOperational
Location
Planned18 January 1963; 61 years ago (1963-01-18)
Planned byLee Kuan Yew and anti-communist officials
Commanded byInternal Security Council
ObjectiveTo round up suspected communist sympathisers
Date2 February 1963; 61 years ago (1963-02-02)
Executed bySingapore Special Branch
Singapore Police Force
Johore Police Field Force
Outcome113 people arrested and detained without trial

Operation Coldstore was the code name for a covert anti-communist security operation that took place in Singapore on 2 February 1963, which was then an internally self-governing state within the British Empire. It led to the arrest of 113 people, who were detained without trial pursuant to the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance (PPSO).[1]

In official accounts, the operation was a security operation "aimed at crippling the Communist open front organisation," which threatened Singapore's internal security.[2] The operation was authorised and approved by the Internal Security Council which was composed of representatives from the British government, Singaporean government, and the Malayan Federal government.

  1. ^ Matthew, Jones (2008). "Creating Malaysia: Singapore Security, the Borneo Territories, and the Contours of British policy". The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History. 28 (2).
  2. ^ Ee, Boon Lee; Lim, Boon Tee (3 February 1963). "Who's who in the big round up".