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A small group of veterans have burned their military medals outside their federal MPs’ offices in protest of the government’s delayed response to protect hundreds of locally engaged Afghan staff who are now facing deadly Taliban retaliation.
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The social media driven movement, named "Australia's Badge of Shame in Flames", was led by retired Australian Army officer Stuart McCarthy, a veteran of the Afghanistan conflict.
"Today I am burning my Afghanistan campaign medal and presenting the remains to my federal member of Parliament (Julian Simmonds)," McCarthy said.
"The Morrison government's conscious decision to leave hundreds of our former Afghan civilian interpreters, other loyal allies and their family members behind to be slaughtered by the Taliban – the same terrorist organisation we were sent to fight for two decades – now renders this medal a badge of shame."
Defence Minister Peter Dutton insisted Australia has already gone to great efforts to grant protection visas to around 1,500 Afghans over the past eight years.
"I think if you look at what Australia's done to help interpreters and those that have been locally engaged, every Australian should be proud of that," Minister Dutton said.
He also confirmed that the government had relocated 300 Afghans to Australia in the past four months but indicated more could be helped through the refugee and humanitarian program.
"Now we aren't taking a blanket 'yes' because there are some people that have been proposed that would pose a security risk to our country," Minister Dutton said.
"Already I think Australia has moved ahead of most partners to get those that have helped us into our country".
Veterans' advocate Kay Danes, a supporter of the protest, has been lobbying for urgent intervention to protect Afghans who worked as security guards in Australia's now closed Kabul embassy.
In a letter to Minister Dutton and Foreign Minister Marise Payne, she requests an urgent meeting to discuss verified data compiled on former staff who worked at the Australian embassy over the past decade.
"In the case of the Australian embassy security guards, their visa applications are extremely detailed and they have undertaken EVERY security vetting process that their and our government have demanded, and are willing to submit to further vetting as required," Danes wrote.
"They and their families just want to be safe – they don't care where that is, so long as it is outside their present location!
"The embassy security guards have limited time left."
Hi @PeterDutton_MP. Here are my views on a national day of commemoration for the #auspol @ScottMorrisonMP government:
— Stuart McCarthy (@StuartMcCarthy_) July 19, 2021
"The most pathetic, incompetent, contemptible and cowardly government in the history of this once proud nation."#SaveOurAfghanTerpshttps://t.co/ClymuhcL8k https://t.co/1ain3dbODm pic.twitter.com/h6YRImG9Ad
[Related: China sends second PLA spy ship to Queensland coast]
