PRIME MINISTER
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MIMiSTER THE HON P J KEATING, MP'
FREEDOM FLAME CEREMONY, BRISBANE, 15 AUGUST 1995
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This has been a very good year in the lifes of Australia. It was a great year when
the war was won. and I think this fftieth anniversary year will go down as a very
good one.
We could not live upto the deeds, but Ithink wecan say that in the year of
" Australia Remembers" the people of Australia lived up to the memory.
And we have remembered. We do remember. We have felt the bonds between
us and those Australians who, with our alies, fought and won the greatest of all
victorles fifty year ego
VP means Victory in the Pacific. It has also been called VJ Day Victory over
Japan and some people thought that is what we should call it In Australia.
I think most of us f OWtfirstt uterIst reafly important one -the " V for
victory.. The victory over tyrny and aggression. The victory for freedom
decency and justice. The victory for peace.
That is what we are celebrating.
And I think there Is reason to bellev that we have a little more cause to celebrate
aftr today's statement by the Prime Minister of Japan.
Today Mr Murayama acknowledged the " Irretf~ tl % Wta of Japanese
aggression in World War 11 and the " tremendous damrage and suffeing" it
caused. Mr Murayarna said: " I regard, in aspiit of humility, these irrefuitable facts of
history, and express here once again my feelings of deep remorse, and state my
heartfelt apoloy.
I am sure all Australians welcome Mr Murayarna's statement. We all feel that it is
essential for the Japanese people to know and acknowledge the truth about the
past.
Australians have learned a lot about the past this year. We have learned a lot
about the war and what victory meant.
And we have learned how fortunate we are that we still have the things for which
Australians fought
We are free few people were ever so free, few countries were ever. so
democratic. Few have ever enjoyed for so long the peace we have enjoyed in the past fifty
years. We have our liberty, we have our rights, and we are at peace few nations were
ever so fortunate.
" Australia Remembers" has been a way of saying that we do not take this for
granted a way of reminding ourselves that we never can.
To remember has been to recognise that these great gifts were delivered to us at
immeasurable human cost.
It has been to remind us all that peace and freedom are hard won and we must
be prepared to defend them.
To remember has been to be reminded that when democracy needed defending
in Europe, Australia sent help.
And when we neee help, it was sent to us.
When Australia remembered this year we remembered the help we received from
the United States.
We remembered all those from Britain and the countries of the Commonwealth
who fought alongside Australians, suiffiered in prison camps with Australians, died
and lie buried with Australians.
To remember the Second World War Is to be reminded that free people have a
duty to freedom everywhere.
That might be the greatest lesson of all.
This year has been a great one for another reason.
It has reminded us that while our world has changed dramatically, and while the
young Australians of today are very different to those who fought the war fifty
years ago, the bonds between our generations are unbreakable.
It has reminded us that the passage of time and. changes in perspective and
fashion cannot after the fact that we are the same people that we are part of the
same Australian story.
We have all drawn inspiration from remembering the deeds of the war generation.
I sincerely hope that that great generation has drawn some comfort from seeing
us inspired.
We are all a little stronger for this year. And Australia is a little stronger.
We not only know more about the war and what we won from it; I venture to say
we know more about how to win.
We know more about each other, more about the value of men and women from
all parts of the continent, all backgrounds and all parts of the world, working
together and sticking together.
We certainly know more about what it is to be Australian and we know more
about the duty that implies.
Celebrating the generation of 1945 has taught us that it is our duty to live up to
their love for this country and the sacrifice they made for it.
It has taught us to believe in ourselves, defend freedom and cherish peace.
Above all, it has taught us to be like those at Kokoda, or in the camps of Thailand
and Burma to keep up the faith and keep going.
I thank everyone who has made Australia Remembers such a wonderful event
every organiser, every worker and every participant
And most of all, I thank every member of that magnificent generation of
Australians who won that victory for all of us fifty years ago.
I v-
A d.