Action committee urges memorial after UK expresses regret for Batang Kali deaths

The Action Committee Condemning the Batang Kali Massacre welcomes the response from the UK government to its 75th massacre anniversary petition, marking a defining moment for the survivors and their families’ quest for truth and accountability.

The apology is one of an only a handful ever given by the UK for colonial-era wrongs [see footnote].

Horrific colonial legacy

On 11-12 December 1948, British soldiers from the Scots Guards executed 24 unarmed villagers in Batang Kali, Selangor, during the Malayan “emergency”.

The villagers, consisting of men, women, and children, were forcibly separated. The men were then subjected to mock executions and 24 of them murdered in cold blood. Their homes were burned, and the survivors taken to a nearby town and abandoned.

For decades, the British government propagated a false narrative, claiming the victims were “insurgents” with a cache of ammunition attempting to escape.

This lie, repeated in the UK Parliament and press reports, deepened the trauma and suffering for the victims’ families and obscured the truth behind the violence perpetuated towards the innocent villagers.

UK’s breakthrough response

By way of a letter dated 31 March 2025, the UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, stated unequivocally for the first time that the UK government:

Seven-decade long struggle for accountability

The letter represents a dramatic shift in the stance the UK government has taken for seven-and-a-half decades.

1948–1949: Initial investigations dismiss the massacre as a “bona fide mistake.” Parliament is misled, with colonial officials falsely denying the incident. The victims’ families attempt to complain to the British authorities, but are turned away without being seen.

1970-1971: A 1970 Metropolitan Police investigation receives sworn confessions from British soldiers admitting to murder, but the case is abruptly closed for political reasons, according to one of the officers, after a change in government.

1990s: Survivors submit petitions to the Queen and renewed investigations are undertaken by the Malaysian authorities. A 1993 Royal Malaysian Police report concludes further action is needed, but this investigation is also aborted for political reasons.

2008-2015: The surviving families and relatives pursue justice and traverse all tiers of the UK judicial system up to the UK Supreme Court and the EU Court of Human Rights. UK Supreme Court Justice Lord Kerr acknowledges the killings as “wholly innocent men mercilessly murdered” and the court unanimously affirms British responsibility. However, the courts ultimately ruled against ordering an inquiry due to legal constraints and the  limitation period.

2023: During the 75th anniversary of the Batang Kali Massacre, the Action Committee submitted a memorandum to the UK prime minister, demanding an acknowledgment, apology and reconciliation.

The March 2025 letter from the UK government is a response to this petition.

Long-awaited vindication

Surviving family members, including Prof Ng Yean Leng, welcome the UK government’s acknowledgment, which is long overdue yet deeply significant.

She said:

“Though poor and marginalised, victims’ families have persistently spoken out against powerful oppressors. Their fight is not for monetary compensation but for the restoration of their reputations and acknowledgment of their true identities – they were neither terrorists nor bandits.

“As a descendant and an intellectual, I bear the responsibility to continue advocating for them and am grateful that UK Government acknowledges the suffering and pain went through by the families for more than two generations. ‘History can be forgiven, but it cannot be forgotten.'”

The action committee commends the UK government for confronting its colonial legacy. Truth must be fully restored, and justice must be upheld.

The committee’s co-ordinator, Quek Ngee Meng, said today:

“We are grateful for the British government’s acknowledgement of the Batang Kali Massacre, which serves as a step toward mending historical wounds and fostering reconciliation.

“While the Minister’s response is carefully phrased, we sense a genuine sincerity and humility in her approach, which will play a crucial role in facilitating the healing process and providing closure for the affected family and community.”

The UK government’s response overturns decades of official denials, including the 1949 parliamentary claims that denied the massacre took place in December 1948.

The action committee will now urge for minister West’s statement to be formally read and recorded in the UK Parliament, ensuring the truth is publicly acknowledged and permanently reflected in history. This will also serve as a remembrance and to honour the victims.

Call for continued courage

The Batang Kali Massacre is a wound that time alone cannot heal. History will not judge us by our past, but by our courage to redress the past.

To honour the victims and solidify reconciliation, the action committee proposes a permanent site of memorial at the final resting place of the 24 victims in Ulu Yam, supported and funded by the UK Government, to educate future generations and to honour the victims.

The action committee stands ready to work with the UK government to ensure accountability, dignity and reconciliation. – Action Committee

The Batang Kali Massacre apology is one of a handful ever issued by the UK for colonial wrongdoings:

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