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Veterans accuse Govt of disregarding Anzac spirit Last Update: Monday, April 18, 2005. 10:13am (AEST)
ABC
Veterans accuse Govt of disregarding Anzac spirit
A Melbourne businessman has paid for a series of television
advertisements featuring World War II veterans condemning the Federal
Government for the way it has handled negotiations with East Timor over
the oil and gas rights in the Timor Sea.
The advertisements will air in the lead-up to Anzac Day but the
Returned and Services League (RSL) says the campaign has misappropriated
the Anzac spirit.
The ads, paid for by Melbourne businessman Ian Melrose, feature WWII
veterans who served in East Timor and are angry at the Federal
Government's handling of negotiations with East Timor.
They makes comments such as: "That's not the Anzac spirit"
and "John Howard, I'd rather you didn't come to my Anzac
parade".
Paddy Kenneally, 89, served with an Australian unit in East Timor in
1942 and features in the advertisements.
He says the help the East Timorese gave Australian soldiers in World
War II is being ignored in the Timor Sea negotiations.
"Quite frankly, I and all the members of the unit believe that if
we hadn't been assisted by the Timorese and the Portuguese at that time,
we wouldn't have lasted 10 weeks in the mountains," Mr Kenneally
said.
"They fed us, they sheltered us, they guided us, they carried the
wounded." 'Fair go'
Mr Kenneally supports the view of the East Timorese Government that it
is being denied its rightful share of billions of dollars in future oil
and gas revenue.
East Timor says Australia's position that the sea boundary between the
two nations exists on the continental shelf rather than halfway between
the two nations is incorrect.
The Australian Government has also faced criticism for withdrawing
recognition of the international court to avoid facing a ruling on the
disputed boundary.
Mr Kenneally says the advertisements are airing around Anzac Day to
remind the Government that it is disregarding the Anzac spirit.
"We're always boasting about a fair go and now we are depriving
the poorest country and one of the newest countries in the world of the
only resource they have," he said.
"Do you think the blokes who fought in World War I and World War
II would agree with kicking a defenceless person when they're down?"
Offensive
The RSL's national president, Bill Crews, says his organisation does
not support the adds and says some veterans would justifiably find them
offensive.
"They should not, in my view and I'm sure in the view of the
members of the RSL, use the Anzac spirit as the basis for criticising the
Government on this particular issue," he said.
"The danger that most veterans would see is that we are
misappropriating the Anzac spirit for this particular cause."
Prime Minister John Howard says Australia is negotiating a
"fair" deal with East Timor over oil and gas rights in the Timor
Sea.
Mr Howard says Australia has "bent over backwards" to
accommodate the East Timorese, and made several concessions in the first
round of talks.
"The stance taken by the Australian Government is fair and
considerate and decent, but it is also a stance that looks after the
interests of the Australian people, which is my first
responsibility," he said.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says negotiations over resources in
the Timor Sea are ongoing and "third parties" making
"emotional but incorrect statements" will not help anyone. In
other developments:
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