SYDNEY: Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday (Nov 30) Canberra is seeking an apology from Beijing about a tweet containing a false image of an Australian soldier holding a knife to the throat of an Afghan child.
Morrison said Australia was seeking the removal of the "truly repugnant" image posted on Monday (Nov 30) by Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"It is utterly outrageous and cannot be justified on any basis ... The Chinese government should be utterly ashamed of this post. It diminishes them in the world's eyes," Morrison told media at a press briefing.
"This sort of conduct is not conducive to any relationship," Morrison said of the tweet, calling it an "outrageous and disgusting slur" against the Australian armed forces.
"That's why I think it's so important in our mutual interests that this egregious act be dealt with."
He said countries around the world were watching how Beijing responded to tensions in Australia's relationship with China.
The Chinese government spokesman had tweeted that he was "shocked by the murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn such acts, & call for holding them accountable".
Australia last week discharged 13 soldiers following a report into conduct in Afghanistan that prosecutors believe may have constituted war crimes.
READ: Shame and vindication as Australia digests report of Afghan military killings
The results of a years-long investigation published in November reported that Australia's elite special forces "unlawfully killed" 39 civilians and prisoners in Afghanistan, including by summary execution as part of initiation rituals.
It recommended that 19 individuals be referred to Australian Federal Police, compensation be paid to the families of victims, and that the military carry out a slew of reforms.
Australia's top military officer has admitted there was credible evidence of the killings, recommending the matter be taken up by a prosecutor investigating alleged war crimes.
"Some patrols took the law into their own hands, rules were broken, stories concocted, lies told and prisoners killed," said Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell.
After the Sep 11, 2001 attacks, more than 26,000 Australian uniformed personnel were sent to Afghanistan to fight alongside US and allied forces against the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups.
Australian combat troops officially left the country in late 2013, but since then a series of often-brutal accounts have emerged about the conduct of elite special forces units.
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2020-11-30 03:28:06Z
CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC9hdXN0cmFsaWEtZGVtYW5kcy1hcG9sb2d5LWZyb20tY2hpbmEtZmFrZS1pbWFnZS10d2l0dGVyLTEzNjY3ODYw0gEA
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