Australian War Memorial boss says new Afghanistan war gallery will reflect ‘evolving truth’ amid BRS charges
The head of the Australian War Memorial says a new gallery on the Afghanistan conflict will be an ‘evolving’ exhibit that must acknowledge the Brereton Report and allegations of war crimes.
The head of the Australian War Memorial says a new gallery on the Afghanistan conflict will be an “evolving” exhibit that must acknowledge the Brereton Report and allegations of war crimes.
Matt Anderson has insisted the new gallery set to open on Tuesday in Canberra will strike a balance to capture the “complexity of service” Aussie soldiers faced during the war in Afghanistan.
Speaking at the memorial on Thursday, Mr Anderson acknowledged questions about Ben Roberts-Smith’s attendance and defended event invites for Victoria Cross recipients as “standard practice”.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.A Sydney court granted the decorated soldier and alleged war criminal a bail variation this week so he can attend the official opening alongside parliamentarians and other prominent guests.
“There are four living Victoria Cross recipients, and it is standard practice for the memorial for them to be invited to major commemorative events. Beyond that, I’m not prepared to say or do anything that would undermine presumption of innocence,” he said.
Mr Anderson said “there’s no single truth” in the stories which have returned from the conflict.
“There isn’t a single narrative, there is no common line that runs from 9/11 through to the evacuation of Kabul in August of 2021,” he said.
“It’s an evolving story. It’s an evolving truth but we’re committed to telling the whole truth once that’s happened, whenever that is.”
“I’ve had veterans who have said to me ‘we won’t visit the War Memorial if it’s in’.
“I’ve had other veterans say to me, ‘I won’t visit the Australian War Memorial if it’s not in’.
“We’re going to put it in but we’ll put it in its appropriate context.”
The section referencing the alleged war crimes committed by the ADF in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016 is small but includes a redacted copy of the Brereton Report.
Small cards each ADF soldier carried during their service with the rules of engagement are included in the display alongside a copy of the United Nation’s Geneva Conventions.
The exhibition caption explains that the report “details the findings of the investigation into rumours of war crimes allegedly committed” and includes a quote from the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry Report.
“Overwhelmingly, (members of the Special Operations Task Group) performed skilfully, effectively and courageously. Because of their role, they formed a disproportionately high proportion of Australian Defence Force members killed or wounded in action in Afghanistan, and there is a long tail of consequential mental health issues which continue to emerge,” was the quote used.
Mr Anderson said the exhibit would allow veterans and visitors to reflect on the wars and Australia’s involvement and to question: “Was it worth it?”
“The last gallery is one of reflection. It is actually our veterans asking the question about whether it was worth it, and our veterans making sense of it,” he said.
“They don’t ask for recognition but I want to give them the recognition I believe they have so richly owned.
“I just hope that any veteran who comes through this place will be proud of that service, proud of the way we’ve tried to explain to the majority of Australians who were never there.
“I also want to make sure that through the telling of the story and interpretation of their history, they can find something.
“If there’s an epitaph for our time in Afghanistan, it should be ‘duty nobly done’.”
Mr Anderson also defended the removal of a portrait of Mr Roberts-Smith in the new exhibition, telling reporters on Thursday that the section it had previously been featured in no longer existed.
“Where it once stood, no longer exists. It stood in a stairwell that we’ve since demolished. His uniform remains on display (and) we’ve updated the interpretive panel,” he said.
The Victoria Cross recipient was charged with five counts of war crime murder related to his deployment in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.
The former Special Air Service corporal, was arrested at Sydney Airport on April 7 while disembarking from a flight from Brisbane.
