Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is an honour to follow the member for Macarthur on this. I know this is an issue that is very close to his heart as I recall he spoke about his father's commitment in the Vietnam War in his first speech to the House. I also rise today to pay tribute to the veterans of Long Tan and to all the Australians who served in the Vietnam War. As the member for Fowler—and I have to say this—it probably has an even more special significance for me, given that I also represent one of the largest Vietnamese communities outside Vietnam.

The commemorations that took place throughout the country on 18 August certainly did stir the emotions and the spirit of all involved in the conflict, their families and those who recognise the effort that was put in on behalf of the nation. As in all other theatres of conflict in which Australian soldiers have served, these Australians served bravely in Vietnam, they served their nation with courage and they served it with distinction.

Having said that—and following the point just made by the member for Macarthur—the veterans of the Vietnam conflict were treated very poorly on their return to this country. No matter what your views may have been with respect to the Vietnam War, those who served this country in our country's interests did not deserve to be treated the way they were when they returned to this country. I would like to put on record my apologies to all those veterans who were subject to that treatment. It is something that needs to be said as the grieving is still taking place for many of those Vietnam veterans. There is no excuse at all for treating our returned servicemen and, indeed, some women that way. After all, they were the ones who were called to put their lives on the line when their country needed it. Their dedication and their commitment to service must be honoured. They dedicated themselves to the service of this country, no matter how they were recruited to Vietnam—many were national servicemen who were drafted into it. But regardless of how they came to be in the war, they did service in the interest of the Australian nation and they discharged their duty with all due valour and honour.

This is something that does sit very solidly in the Australian psyche. You do not have to attend many Vietnam veteran occasions to see this. It is not only the pride of the returned servicemen you see there. I see it, and no doubt the member for Macarthur and all the other members present know that you actually see it, in the school children who are now turning up as they learn about our commitment. It is quite clear that this is the day we not only the commemorate the battle at Long Tan, but also the day we remember all those who served in the Vietnam War. The Battle of Long Tan stands equally proudly in Australian military history with Gallipoli, the Somme, Tobruk and Kokoda. These are things that young school children now learn, and rightfully so, because they are things that they should be proud to know. It was an engagement against all the odds, where Australians were called upon to engage an enemy in what was probably a very much unforseen battle under very, very difficult circumstances. Long Tan was the first major engagement in Vietnam in which Australian troops were involved. This battle was the stuff that, quite frankly, legends were made of. Once again, Australian soldiers found themselves in a position where only their sheer bravery and their determination allowed them to stand against the odds. You draw lines of similarity with all those other theatres, such as Gallipoli, the Somme, Tobruk and Kokoda. We should recall that Delta Company 6RAR encountered a far superior force numerically as they fought in the rain, mud and mist of the rubber plantation that ran along the outside of the village of Long Tan. No-one could have reasonably expected that a force of 108 Australians, mostly young National Service men, led by a few regulars, with the support of artillery, including some Australian and New Zealand artillery as it turned out, could have held off a force the equivalent of almost two battalions. It comprised over 2,000 North Vietnamese army regulars and local Viet Cong guerrillas. There was wave after wave of enemy attack on the Australian position. During the few hours that this battle lasted, there were many acts of bravery and mateship which have come to typify Australian involvement in war. To put it realistically, it is the Anzac spirit.

For three hours they fought in the rain, with nothing more than a few plantation rubber trees and the mist generated by the rain for cover. They were waiting all that time for reinforcements to arrive. In the Anzac tradition, as I said, these Australians were supported by both Australian and New Zealand artillery. Sadly, lives on both sides were lost that day. By the end of the battle, 18 Australians had lost their lives and another 24 had been wounded. It is interesting that the oldest Australian casualty on that occasion was a 22-year-old and the youngest was a 19-year-old. That puts it in context when you think about your own kids. The other side, I understand, lost in excess of 250, with another 500 wounded.

As I mentioned at the outset, despite the significance of the Long Tan Battle, its commemoration is not simply of the battle itself but of all Vietnam veterans. It is about the nearly 500,000 who served in Vietnam, it is about the soldiers and it is about the families of the 500 Australian troops who lost their lives in service to their country. It is also about the 3,000 who were wounded during the conflict. Everyone who served in the Vietnam conflict deserves proper recognition and the full respect of the Australian people.

We always need to be mindful of the fact that, even though the last of our troops were withdrawn from Vietnam in 1972, it was not until October 1987 that Australia officially held ceremonies to recognise the homecoming of our Vietnam veterans. Vietnam veterans throughout Australia continue to suffer and are haunted by the ghosts of their involvement in the war. It is an important part of Australian history and should be given that status. I hope that no group of Australian veterans is ever treated in the way that we treated our Vietnam heroes on their homecoming. That is a wrong that we need to right.

As the member for Fowler, I now have the honour of representing one of the largest Vietnamese communities outside of Vietnam itself. As a consequence of that, Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War takes on a special significance. On 30 April this year, I attended a ceremony in Canberra to commemorate the 36th anniversary of the fall of Saigon to remember not only the Australians soldiers but also the many thousands of Vietnamese soldiers who died fighting for freedom and democracy. I had the opportunity to speak about the fall of Saigon to the communist forces and about what had occurred to the nation subsequent to that—for instance, the imprisonment of various Vietnamese people for essentially trying to exercise their own fundamental human rights—the human rights that Australians, New Zealanders and Americans were there supporting and trying to protect at the time of the Vietnamese conflict. At the time of the commemoration ceremonies of the fall of Saigon, I was advised of a march that was being planned by members of the Australian RSL and former Viet Cong soldiers. I reminded the crowd on that day that unlike the First and Second World Wars there was no repatriation for Vietnamese refugees. At the conclusion of the Vietnam war the communist government reacted quite cruelly to any of those it suspected of having stood up against it or assisted in efforts against the communist insurgency, to the point that people were placed in very inhumane concentration camps or, as they are colloquially referred to, re-education camps. The communist government's actions forced millions of Vietnamese to flee their country, many in boats. They would have been, from Australia's point of view, the first boat people. Regrettably, many hundreds of thousands of people did not survive that journey.

I am deeply concerned at human rights in Vietnam—it is something I have spoken of on many occasions in this parliament—because not only is it a continuation of past abuses of one's rights but also Australia, with its allies, fought in Vietnam to support and to protect the basic issues of freedom and democracy. Regrettably, these days people are accused of crimes such as supporting political groups not recognised by the state, criticising government policies, calling for democracy, even being interviewed by foreign journalists. Those matters are enough to subject you to a trial and, if found guilty, you are imprisoned. Our troops fought with distinction and with valour but they fought for Australia's interests to protect people from the insurgency of a communist regime. As a consequence they fought to protect those basic rights that we in our nation can freely enjoy.

Whilst I applaud every effort towards world peace and harmony, I believe, as I indicated on that day, that a parade by former Australian diggers who served in the Vietnam conflict alongside former Viet Cong guerrillas will send a very wrong message throughout our region. There has been a significant number of recorded abuses of human rights, continuing to this day, including more than 400 people incarcerated for trying to exercise their fundamental human rights. A parade will effectively say that you can continue to deny people their freedom and democracy whilst enjoying the support of a country such as Australia.

In March this year I was also invited to the unveiling of the newly renovated Vietnam War Comradeship Memorial at Cabravale Park, which is in my electorate at Cabramatta. I was invited there by the President of the New South Wales chapter of the Vietnamese Community in Australia, Mr Thanh Nguyen. The community I represent are so proud of all Australians and all those allied forces who went and fought valiantly on their behalf. They have been busy fundraising to ensure that the comradeship memorial stands with pride of place because they want to demonstrate in Australia how proud they are of people which o made the sacrifice on their behalf. The comradeship memorial commemorates the friendship and sacrifice shared between Australian and Vietnamese soldiers. I would like to acknowledge the hard work of the organising committee, among them Tri Vo, the project coordinator for the upgrade of the comradeship memorial, the presidents of the respective RSL clubs and the many Australian and Vietnamese war veterans who attend.

The Vietnam War is not going to be something we simply condemn to the history books; it is something that we will commemorate on the basis that it is a true example of the Anzac spirit. It is a defining moment not only in Australian military history but for the spirit of Australia itself. The 18th of August is a very significant day in Australia's national calendar. We commemorate and acknowledge the efforts, bravery, courage and commitment of all of those who fought for this country, whether they were regular soldiers or members of the national service. We should ensure that we speak about this each year in commemoration of Long Tan. Lest we forget.

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