MEDIA RELEASE
(For immediate release on 18th August 2016)
“The Vietnamese Government last minute cancellation of the 50th commemorative service of the battle of Long Tan in Vietnam is mean spirited, inhumane and cruel”
“The Vietnamese Community in Australia understands and appreciates the wishes of the Vietnam Veterans to pay tribute to their fallen comrades in Long Tan, Viet Nam on the 50th anniversary of the battle.
However, the cancellation at the last minutes of the service by the Vietnamese communist government after 18 months of allowing its preparation to take place is disrespectful, cruel, mean spirited and inhumane to thousands of Australian Vietnam Veterans, many of whom are frail, in old age and have travelled to VN using up their pension moneys and savings.
We, the Vietnamese Community in Australia and all Australians share the pain, the anger and the profound disappointment of our Vietnam Veterans on this betrayal of the Vietnamese Communist Government. Let us now focus and pay an even greater respect to our Long Tan and other Australian fallen soldiers at commemorative services held throughout Australia today with the dignity and honours that they deserve. It’s our view that whether the commemoration takes place at the commemorative site in Vietnam or on Australia soil, it carries the same meaning.
Let the famous statement made by the late President of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu: “Do not listen to what the Vietnamese Communists say but look carefully at what they do” be a reminder to us all, including the Vietnam Veterans and the Australian Government, when dealing with the Vietnamese Communist Regime.
We call upon the Australian government to reconsider where Australian aids should go after this incident. Our hard earned tax-payers aid moneys should not be paid unconditionally to a government that gives no due respect for the Australian Government and to our veterans.
The Vietnamese Government should and must compensate our travelling veterans for the financial losses and the emotional suffering they have had to endure due to its treacherous cancellation” Mr. Bon Nguyen, Federal President of the Vietnamese Community in Australia said.
