The Perils of Recent History !

History books are supposed to be a true and accurate account of what happened during the period being reviewed.   The history of Australia generally starts back in 1788 when a first fleet of ships arrived to start a penal colony at the behest of Britain.  No doubt that story has been constantly revised and has had many different tellings but it has the great advantage that all the people involved are now long dead.

It is a very different matter when the task involves what may be best described as " near history " - the events that have happened in the past half century when at least some of the people who took part are still alive and may have a very different view of what exactly happened.  This is accented when it comes to Australia's military history.  That involves our relationship with neighbouring countries and it is just too easy to portray them in an unfriendly light.

News reports of military action are usually heavily censored before they are released for public consumption.  There is the propaganda aspect.  When a government commits troops to enforce military action it likes to think that action is justified and has public support.   The censor's pen is usually wielded on the grounds of security.

When Tony Abbot served as our prime minister he handed the writing of our military action in East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq to the Australian War Memorials chief historian.   The first edition covering East Timor was expected to have been published two months ago but it is still bogged down in acrimony because of fact resistance from Canberra bureaucrats demanding change.  The chief historian is said to be considering resigning from frustration.

In the case of East Timor this history has not progressed past the draft stage and.resistance is coming from our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  DFAT has concern that this history could anger  Indonesia and humiliate the Australian negotiators " who in hindsight look overly accommodating of Indonesia and it's actions ".   Our support in freeing East Timor from Indonesian rule intruded heavily into the diplomatic sphere.

Writing the history of our in involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq is even more troubling.  Both were a mixture of civil war and an insurgency that departed from the usual rules of war.  The fact that the strife was also a clash of religions introduced a savagery that was beyond reason.  It will be impossible to write an accurate description of those events without treading on toes and roiling passions that are better left undisturbed.

Perhaps the writing of the history books is better left to following generations - when all who served in such actions are long dead.   The passing of time introduces moderation in outlook and the academic approach to history is less likely to produce anger and pressure to alter history to fit in with the customs that society now uphold.   Rarely does the past fit the image of the present  !