Furious veterans have burned their military decorations to protest the federal government's slow response in granting refuge to hundreds of locally engaged Afghanistan staff now facing deadly Taliban reprisals.
A small group of soldiers who took part in this country's longest war staged the symbolic action outside the offices of federal politicians, as concerns grow for the safety of Afghans who once served alongside coalition forces.
The social media driven action dubbed "Australia's Badge of Shame in Flames" is being 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)," Mr 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".
Other veterans who did not deploy to Afghanistan have also burned their military decorations awarded for other conflicts in support of the cause.
"The lives of those that saved Australian lives in Afghanistan is more important than a hunk of metal or a bit of cloth," says Peter, a veteran of East Timor who spent 14 years in the Army.
The former soldier, who did not want to give his surname for security reasons, today burned his service medal in Newcastle outside the office of his Federal MP Sharon Claydon.
"These Afghans, they worked not only with the Australian Defence Force, with the AFP and NGOs and with the Australian government agency AusAid and also as embassy guards," the veteran said.
Over the weekend Defence Minister Peter Dutton insisted Australia had 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," he said.
Mr Dutton confirmed that in the past three or four months the government had managed to bring 300 Afghans to Australia but indicated more could be helped through the refugee and humanitarian program.
"If we need to airlift people, we will do that," he said.
"We've already looked at those contingencies — if people can come commercially and that's available well that might be the option for them."
"Already I think Australia has moved ahead of most partners to get those that have helped us into our country".
Veterans' advocate Kay Danes, who is supporting today's protest action is again pleading for urgent intervention to particularly protect Afghans who worked as security guards in Australia's now closed Kabul embassy.
In a letter to Mr 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.
"I appreciate the point made in the media regarding the issue of repatriating people to places like Al Minhad (in Dubai) who may turn out to be belligerents," Dr Danes wrote.
"I and my colleagues fully understand the concept of insider threat.
"But 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."
