Claims of Execution and Torture By Australian Army
According to Australian government records and PNG citizens who survived World War II, the Australian Army occasionally coerced and intimidated the local people into compliance.
A video report by the Australian Broadcasting Commission's Foreign Correspondent TV programme entitled "PNG Digger Hangings" claims execution and torture were used to control villages unsupportive of the Australian Army. The report claims the Army deceived the Australian Government inquiry that followed the executions, grossly understating the number of executions carried out by the Australian Army.
Backed by experts, such as Professor Hank Nelson (an eminent historian on the Second World War in PNG), reporter Trevor Bormann stated: "When Federal Cabinet was told of the hangings, it put a stop to them and directed that another fifty Papuans on death row should not face the noose.... Then in their explanation of what happened, field commanders fudged the figures on the number of men who had already been hanged."
According to historian Maclaren Hiari, the victims and families of victims do not want compensation. They only want "acknowledgement or any kind of apology to the people."
Read more about this topic: Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels
Famous quotes containing the words claims, execution, torture, australian and/or army:
“Who claims that the heathen’s view of the world is incorrect? Life gives you nothing! It is ruled by false gods! Nothing remains true to you but your own self; provided you remain true to it.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)
“My weakness has always been to prefer the large intention of an unskilful artist to the trivial intention of an accomplished one: in other words, I am more interested in the high ideas of a feeble executant than in the high execution of a feeble thinker.”
—Thomas Hardy (1840–1928)
“When a man of genius is denied of his great love, he goes mad. His brain, instead of being clear to do his work, is tortured, so he begins to think of torture. Torture for those who have tortured him.”
—David Boehm, and Louis Friedlander. Dr. Richard Vollin (Bela Lugosi)
“The Australian mind, I can state with authority, is easily boggled.”
—Charles Osborne (b. 1927)
“I’m the boss, you’re an idiot. You’re the boss, I’m an idiot.”
—Russian army saying, trans. by Vladimir Ivanovich Shlyakov (1993)