Edmund Burke was a British Statesman and political thinker of the 18th century, and he is an important figure in political history even today. Of Irish descent, with a legal training, he wrote many treatises of political theory, and he entered Parliament in 1774. In the light of the present day, his statements on colonialism make interesting reading. In 1777 he wrote about British Colonial policy in relation to America. In those days he considered it imprudent, inconsistent, legalistic and intransigent in the assertion of imperial rights. He argued that it was absurd to treat universal disobedience as criminal; the revolt of a whole people indicated serious misgovernment. In later years the civil disobedience of Gandhi highlighted the same faults in British Colonial policy, but it was the American Colonies which took his attention in his day; it is odd to imagine America as a colony of Britain.

One statement by Burke is worthy of record. On the subject of America - but it could have been any country - he said "I do not know the method of drawing up an indictment against a whole people."

It seems to me that politicians after Burke's day could have reflected on that statement. After the 1914-18 War the German people were subjected to punitive policies which made them look for a saviour. He came in the shape of Hitler. Following the 1939-45 War the Western Allies stopped short of Reparations, but the Russians under Stalin combined their thirst for revenge with their ambition for world domination to subjugate Eastern Europe. Where politicians failed to meet this tyranny, ordinary people are succeeding.

My interest in West Germany made me follow closely the events leading to eventual reunification of that divided country. There is the fear that a united Germany would once more become ambitious for increased territory, and it is true that the Germans have always feared their containment by potentially hostile neighbours. The present generation, able to grow up without the interruption of another disastrous war, and having demanded the facts about Hitler and the Nazis from their parents, have a chance to secure peace in a united Europe, as never before. Empires have broken up and given way to communities.

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In 1981 something happened which brought home to me the need to inform the youth of today about events of the Second World War. My experience of the situation in West Germany in the '60s, when the young people there were demanding explanations from their elders, of course bore no resemblance to my Malayan War exploits; but a young man called Jon S H Lim, an architect from Singapore, who was carrying out research under the patronage of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, wrote to me whilst he was in London.

Jon's research was on the Architectural Heritage of Malaysia and Singapore during the pre-Merdeka and post-Merdeka historical periods of the region. He found my name through a technical paper which I had written for the Institution of Civil Engineers, and he sought my help with his project. He was able to borrow a copy of my book "We Built and Destroyed", and he made some comments on it. Amongst the comments he posed a question. "How did Laffan and you get mixed up with destroying the United Engineers equipment in Singapore?" asked Jon.

Jon and I never met, though we spoke on the telephone, and exchanged letters. His question about the wrecking job which Laffan and I supervised in Singapore was never answered. What answer could there be? Today it is barely good enough to say that we were simply carrying out orders. The wrecking did no good. In February 1942 however, with the Japanese a mere mile or two away, we carried out orders. Jon and his generation would never understand.

Now I can understand the dilemma which must have confronted many loyal Germans when asked similar questions by their children.

Which leads me to wonder if perhaps I am mistaken in my aversion to the celebration of anniversaries. The VE and VJ events of 1995 brought back memories to stir the emotions. But perhaps we have a duty to remind future generations and their political leaders of the follies of past Wars. Perhaps they will be reminded of the failures over the centuries of past empires, and seek to know why they failed.