. a singapore state cemetery. workmen are dismantling a grave so that the body buried beneath it can be removed.

in the last few years, this has become a common sight in singapore graveyards. just before dawn, the family watches, as a grave digger removes human remains. the country has imposed a limit on the use of burial plots in cemeteries to just 15 years. after that the relatives of the deceased must exhume the body. the dug up remains are cremated. the ashes are then placed in an ash wauary or column they began as gave stone specialists. but have had to change their

focus. >> this is of the burial, it's like a drop of maybe 80% compact. >> new businesses have begun selling niches in colu nba col mumby yeah barium. >> city of singapore in managing its dead. singapore is one of the world's few city, states, and 5.5 million, that measures 42

claims and 23 kilometers north to south. it's gdp per capa is the highest in asia at 56,000 us dollars. the efficient use of its limited land has always been the biggest issue singapore faces. the year after independence, the government passed the land acquisition act. that loud public projects to cease whatever land they deemed necessary. old communities, rural vill lam villages were all destroyed to make room for economic growth. orchard road is one of the singapore's most famous downtown areas. this luxury shopping mall was once a graveyard. it was built on the site in

1993. a residential neighborhood was also once a cemetery. today, the graveyard is an apartment complex owned by the housing and development board or hdb. over 80% of singapore's residents live in similar hdb homes. assistant professor lee ock explains how land development works in the city. >> singapore has employed more essential life, and most developments in the past, these approaches definitely helped more efficient planning and faster development. they want to keep the majority of land for the public propose like housing or transportation and/or other sort of necessary uses. >> this is singapore's biggest

buddhist temple. over 70% of the state's multi ethnic population are descendents who moved in the early 19th and 20th centuries. they brought the customs of burials with them. >> when singapore became independent, the city was home to over 200 secemeteries, today only 60. a number of dug up graves can be

seen around the graveyard. in 1998, the government imposed a time limit on burials. after 15 years, bodies must be exhumed and either cremated and placed in a column barium or the like or reburied in a small plot. the time limit was imposed due to concerns that the city would run out of burial space. ever since, the government has promoted k promoted cremation over burial. singapore's first prime minister, lee kwon yu he, he was cremated in accordance with his wishes. the state run cemetery contains

a space for muslims, who account for 15% of the population. although burial is mandated bir their religion, they are not ex pemt from the exhumation law. this area is set aside for the reburials of remains that have been dug up. muslim graves traditionally only contain one person. but here, eight people have been placed into a single plot. a family has come to pay their respects at the new plot. >> when we hear that they are going exhume the body, sometimes feel, don't feel happy, because it's not nice to. >> no no, no.

never respect. >> of the eight people buried here, only four are parents or other relatives, the other four remains belong to total strangers. >> so as you can put eight bodies, it's not the whole body. it's whatever remains is there, like maybe your shoulder bone or whatever, collarbone. >> we feel, you know, right. we just pray for them and to

tell them that we had to put them in a new place together. we have no >> many funeral companies are located along the road that's a 15 minute drive from central singapore. funerals are held here almost everyday. we received permission to film one family's buddhist service. ♪ >> lee ching ming is the chief

mourner. his 70-year-old father died of thyroid cancer, he was a jewelry craftman and worked right up into the end. his grandparents were both buried, but when his mother died, she like his father, was cremated. >> because i have to respect my d dad, so before that, he told me what he wanted, and would like their bodies to be cremat cremated, so i have to follow. >> after the service, the body was taken to the

>> the ashes will be kept as a buddhist temple >> the earn will rest beside that of his wife. he bought the niche when his wife was still alive so they could rest here together. >> my parents, they feel this is a peaceful place. so they choose this place for them to rest. >> the space for these

they're completely full. the stemple built a new facilit to respond to demand. there are currently four state facilities for cremated remains in singapore. they're all open for people of every religion. the mandai one due to the rapid increase in kcremations, it coud house up to 100,000 remains, the average cost is dollars. kim runs a dmiens, his wife died of parkinson's disease a few years ago. >> 1998, long time, pray for

you, you very happy. can you not, pray for you. >> muslims must bury their dead, but 96% of the remaining singapore cremation. . an ultra luxurious facility has been developed, as people are moving away from cemeteries. this one was built in 2009, by a company that sells and manages graveyards in malaysia. it has a total of 20,000 niches of ten different types. it's constantly crowded with potential

>> the most popular spot in this gleaming golden chamber is right by the buddha's feet, favors on those who rest there. at 28,000 u.s. dollars, its cost is around 40 times in a state run facility. >> this premium royal suite room

is called the emperor. the most expensive niche here costs nearly 50,000 us dollars. >> this niche itself is for four niches. family of four. but some of them, they will not put four together. they will rather put two and the extra space, they will use it for deck core ratioorationsdeco. you'll see, we have examples. i will show you. sheer a sample. two niches inside and the extra space here, they decorate as a familiar low home. actually, a lot of people, they can't afford a condo when they're alive, but after so many years of efforts, working hard for it, they will go for the niches for themselves.

so this is the condo or super condo for them. >> sales are brisk, even for the royal suite, and the company is adding an extension. bu kichlt it brown cemetery is about five kilometers from the city center. huge graveyard of around 100,000 people were buried here between the early hundreds and. a highway gan in 2013, the road runs right through the cemetery.

the government notified next of kin two years before that, asking them to move affected graves. and then requisitioned 4,000 grave plots. the historic graveyard was split from north to south. at 5:00 a.m., a group of people walk through the cemetery. hoi, and their wives, they've come to exhume the graves of the brothers parents. the chinese believe that the souls of the dead fear sun lisle, so the exhumation must be done before dawn. their father's grave is right beside the road works.

the government has not asked them to exhume his remains, but the brothers want their father to have a peaceful place to rest. they decided to move him. the headstone was removed, and a hole was dug the previous the grave digger begins to search for the

>> the father's bones are exposed to air for the first time in 48 years. the digger cleans them with rice wine. they then move on to the mother's grave. she died at just 28 years of age

in 1942. her remains have entirely decomposed. the father's remains and the mother's possessions are placed in a niche

>> very happy, oh, yeah. >> our ancestor, we do a good job for them. >> is he tem -- at the cemetery, it has become difficult to know who is buried at the graves. one man visits almost every weekend. raymond go, a businessman, has been researching the graves here for the last ten years. he uses an unusual tool to study grave stones. flour. since chinese headstones don't usually record the name othe deceased, goh must figure it out

from the year the stone was ee regulari erected and from the names who put it there. >> so this is 1899 tomb. she must be very old lady when she died. if i can find name, and then the tomb, again, many generations. i can reconnect. more than 100 years, i reconnect. i bring them. this place is so much history and herheritage, but when the government announced the road at that time, they just think it's tomb stones, just dead people. they don't know so much history

inside. >> goh has been called a tomb hunter because of his research. he uses his extensive knowledge of those lying in long forgotten plots. he has already led 50 families to the graves of their ancestors. two years ago, he made headlines when he discovered the maternal graves of singapore's first prime minister. lee kwon yuh. the road project have given rise to a sudden flood of attention for the all but forgotten bu kichkit brown cemetery. free guided tours are offered by volunteers. over 15,000 people have taken part in the walk. today's guide is darren coe, a

professor. >> this buried in the traditional grave. for a grave, that's a special thing. if you look carefully at the grave that is prepared for someone of a wealthy background, the peripheral wall has another gully in between before another one. so there a trough here. this trough collects water in the rain, and the water flows from the high side to the front. for in the front area, are where your descendents are. water, which of course, as the chinese tells you represents money and wealth, flows to the next generation, who stands in front of the grave, honoring one of the most important things in

burying your ancestor, is not so for for them, he or she has passed away, it is for the next generation. a lot of the beliefs and practices for burying the dead are for the next generation. >> most participants are hoping to get in touch. >> so the journey of the story actually started -- >> one woman has made a discovery. >> he thought weighs going do go and you know, oh, wow, we have a desen dent here. >> my cousin. son of the -- >> yeah. >> and was a reverend. >> an 80 year old grave makes a connection with the living. >> i hope very much that there

will be work done to consider as much as possible, yeah. it's something you can create. in the 1970s, singapore government bring down many old buildings, many beautiful old buildings, because they say dirty, no value, they take it down and put new ones. but 30 years later, this he regret. they know they did wrong. hopefully they will not do wrong for this cemetery. >> many people are now calling for the cemetery to be preserved. the government has only stated that future development is currently under consideration. the state run, another group is here after exhuming two buried family members. this time, the remains of a father and a brother will be placed with the ashes of the family's cremated

the number of burials continues to decline, but some people still insist on it. the wake is being held in a meeting room of an hdb apartment block. the family has decided to bury their 82-year-old mother. >> she keeps telling us she want burial. >> her body will be buried at the state run cemetery and until it's exhumation in 15 years time, she will rest in peace there.

"newsline." it is thursday, march 26. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. belgian authorities deadly attacks, and they've named two brothers as the suicide bombers. 31 people died and 270 were wounded. explosions tore through an international airport near brussels and a subway station downtown. islamic state militant group. >> identified by his fingerprints. it was khalid bakraoui, im brahim's brother on the 12th january, 1989 of belgian nags