Practice Paper 2 2024 Answers PDF

Practice Paper 2 2024 Answers Answer Scheme 1a. Study Source A. What can you tell from this source about the riots that broke out on 11 December 1950? INFERENCES, SUPPORTED...

Practice Paper 2 2024 Answers Answer Scheme 1a. Study Source A. What can you tell from this source about the riots that broke out on 11 December 1950? INFERENCES, SUPPORTED e.g. I can tell that the riots were serious/large-scale. The source states British troops, with fixed bayonets, were in support of the Singapore police last night in efforts to quell the rioting”. This clearly shows that the local police could not cope with the riots, which resulted in the British troops being called in to help restore order. As such, the riots had been a serious and large-scale one. Others: The riots appear to be communal/ sectarian/between different races 1c Study Sources A and C. How similar are these two sources as. evidence of popular discontent in Singapore in the 1950s? Explain your answer. SIMILAR AND DIFFERENCE Similar Both sources provide evidence to show that the popular discontent had become out of hand. Source A states that “Two Europeans, two Chinese, and a Eurasian were fatally injured and more than 100 people -Europeans, Eurasians, Chinese, and Indians - were wounded in the Muslim rioting”. This shows that although the riots targeted the British and Westerners due to the Muslim anger at how the British court handled the case, people from other ethnic groups, like the Chinese and Indians, were killed or injured. The attacks appeared to be indiscriminate as the riots grew more serious and out of control. Similarly, Source C shows that the Hock Lee Bus Riots had also gotten out of control. The source states that “two police officers and an American press correspondent were killed by the rioters”. The attacks in this riot appear indiscriminate as even a journalist reporting the news was attacked. The death of the two policemen who were enforcing the order also shows that the rioters had become very violent and clearly out of control. DIFFERENCE Both sources are different as they show that the popular discontent in  the 1950s was motivated by different reasons. Source A shows that the Maria Hertogh Riots were motivated by communal/religious reasons, while the Hock Lee Bus Riots (Source C) were caused by worker dissatisfaction with communist instigation. Source A states that the Maria Hertogh riots were due to “muslim rioting”. This shows unhappiness was felt by this communal/religious group, who took to the streets to protest against the perceived unfair treatment by the British. However, source C states that “members of the pro-communist Singapore Bus Workers’ Union – went on strike on 23 April. They protested against the new work rosters and the formation of a rival union by the bus company.” This shows that the heavily politicised workers were unhappy over their work conditions and since most were from the pro-communist trade union, it was likely that the leftist/communist elements influenced their actions in Singapore. Compare Purpose Both sources are different in their purposes. Source A wanted to convince the locals that the violence had escalated to a severe and critical level. Many people of other races were attacked and killed as can be seen in ‘Two Europeans, two Chinese and a Eurasian were fatally injured and more than 100 people -Europeans, Eurasians, Chinese and Indians’. Hence, there is an urgency for the British to call in the British troops to stop the riots as can be seen in ‘British troops, with fixed bayonets, were in support of the Singapore police last night in efforts to quell the rioting’. The intended impact is to convince the locals of the need for the British to deploy troops to control the violence so that the locals would trust the British authorities to restore order and protect the safety of all residents. Source C wanted to convince the locals that the violence was first started by the workers and not by the police. The police were merely trying to control the workers who used violence against the police which can be seen in ‘ The police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the mob that retaliated by stoning the policemen and buses’. The news was trying to persuade the locals that the police were not at fault for using force, as their actions were necessary to stop the violence caused by the workers. The intended impact was to shift the blame for the violence onto the workers, convincing the locals not to hold the police accountable for their actions but rather to understand that the workers' behaviour had escalated the situation.