Source: Ahmed akacha from Pexels on Canva for illustration purposes only
Most Singaporeans live relatively peaceful and stable lives without ever having to experience the horrors of war.
However, a Redditor’s post asking Singaporeans about their experiences of conflicts overseas has brought to light perspectives rarely seen.
Netizens shared how they navigated such circumstances, from the ongoing international conflict in the Middle East to civil demonstrations in Lebanon and Hong Kong.
Posting on subreddit r/askSingapore on 2 March, the Redditor shared that they work in a firm dealing with international relations.
Recently, they had to send “numerous urgent emails” to partners and employees in the Middle East to check on their safety.
The Original Poster (OP) described writing those emails as a “surreal experience and a bit of rude awakening”.
“Especially, given the last armed conflict Singapore experienced was decades ago and our neighbouring region is relatively peaceful,” the OP added.
They also recalled a colleague who was working in Myanmar during the 2021 military coup. The colleague shared that it was months of “peace” at first as everything felt normal.
Source: Wikipedia
The gravity of the situation did not fully register until “bullets started flying” but thankfully, she was already at the airport by then.
The OP then ended the post by asking if such experiences had shifted other Singaporeans’ worldviews.
The thread drew responses from Singaporeans who had found themselves caught in conflicts abroad.
A netizen who claimed to be in Dubai shared that they have been “sporadically bombed by Iran” over the past few days.
However, they shared that the explosions sound “distant” at the moment but they have an emergency bag prepared in case the situation deteriorates.
Source: Tortuga Blog, image for illustration purposes only
Another Redditor experienced the chaos in Lebanon after the assassination of its former prime minister Rafic Hariri, and a civil war in Sudan.
They recalled bargaining for safe passage and clearing military checkpoints, adding that the key to survival is to carry on “through the mess, adapt, overcome”.
The Redditor, who also claimed to be an “adventure junkie”, then admitted that they would rather not live in a conflict zone.
Source: Elie Ghobeira via Wikipedia, image for illustration purposes only
Meanwhile, one commenter recalled being at the scene of the Christchurch shooting in 2019.
They shared how their national service training helped them stay safe — particular how to use their surroundings as cover and the leopard crawl technique.
Source: Wikimedia Commons, image for illustration purposes only
Another netizen recounted how they were almost caught in a clash between the police and protestors in Hong Kong in 2019.
When faced with a police blockade near their hotel, the group were only let through after presenting their passports.
“Not long after that we heard the clashes begin,” they recalled.
Source: Studio Incendo via Wikipedia, image for illustration purposes only
The OP, who wished to remain anonymous, told MS News that the recent conflict in Iran “really put things into perspective”.
They shared that due to the nature of their job, which involves crafting emails to stakeholders in the affected areas, they have felt the impact of the unrest despite not being on the ground.
“It gives me this sense of dread and connectedness,” they added.
Local actress and Star Search finalist Amy Ang also shared on her social media account that she was stuck in Bahrain due to the ongoing situation.
According to her Instagram post, her flight was supposed to land in Singapore on 2 March at 1pm.
Source: @amyy.ang on Instagram
She later updated via an Instagram story that she and her team have since re-located to Saudi Arabia.
Ms Ang also revealed that she and her travel companions are still waiting for a flight to return to Singapore.
Also read: S’pore embassy in Riyadh looking into evacuating S’poreans from Bahrain amid Middle East crisis
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Featured image adapted from Ahmed akacha from Pexels on Canva for illustration purposes only.