Sunken WW2 warship HMAS Perth being desecrated by Indonesian steel scavengers

This was reported back in September and had slipped my mind, what with the latest Indonesian dramas going on, I remembered this story.

Pretty disgusting really, as many as 355 sailers went down with HMAS Perth when it was sunk by the Japanese in 1942.

It currently sits within Indonesian waters and hasn't been protected as an official war grave.

Gavin Campbell is the last surviving officer of HMAS Perth. Now 92 years old and living a quiet life in Sydney’s suburbs, Mr Campbell became emotional at the news. "I think it's appalling what's going on with my ship. It's something which should not be allowed to happen despite the fact there is no agreement between the two governments," he said. "The remains of the crew are still there and should be treated as a war grave ... If the Navy and the government have been aware of it, shame on them for not taking action to stop it."

www.abc.net.au...

reply to post by AlphaHawk


After such an extended period of time underwater its not like there will be anything left of the corpses so how is this any different form archaeologists digging up or excavating tombs/ancient sites?

At Least they are recycling the metal hopefully into something rather more productive than a vessel of war this time.

reply to post by andy06shake


Archeological digs/excavations are done to obtain information, human remains are treated with respect.

Scavenging steel is done for profits, human remains, in this case, are of no importance to those making profits.

Two very different things.

reply to post by AlphaHawk

I agree with you that it is disgraceful and disrespectful. If the site has not been designated as a war grave there is very little that can done other than official protests. Be careful Alpha this is the second post I've seen from you today regarding Indonesian/Australian relations, the mods might decide you are an agent provocateur or ban you for political trolling

Kind regards

reply to post by AlphaHawk


I was under the impression that military naval vessels belonging to a nation state belongs to that state in perpetuity and were to be left where found as a memorial so to speak.

I was under the impression salvage was a no no unless the original government agreed to it.

I could be wrong... I do remember it being part of a UN treaty, I just cant remember which one.

reply to post by Xcathdra


They are protected under the UNESCO Underwater Cultural Heritage.

www.unesco.org...

I don't think Australia and/or Indonesia have singled onto it.

reply to post by andy06shake


Umm well they are trying to beef up their firepower to tussle with Austrila I've read... or maybe they will recycle the metal into something to combat the "rampant witchcraft" plaguing the palace..

AlphaHawk
reply to post by andy06shake

 

Archeological digs/excavations are done to obtain information, human remains are treated with respect.

Scavenging steel is done for profits, human remains, in this case, are of no importance to those making profits.

Two very different things.

Hold it right there…!

Those so called “archaeological researchers” are actually grave robbers with the license to steal cultural belongings and to humiliate the ancient and sovereign nations around the world.

How come their “finding” pops at the museums in Western countries and worse the “precious findings” pops at the royal families treasure chambers here and there..? Take North Africa/Asia as a great example..! Ain’t those so called “FINDINGS” belongs to their original nations..?

S&F

Here is some new information published today:

ROGUE poachers ripping scrap-iron from an Australian warship gravesite containing the remains of potentially hundreds of sailors will be targeted under a proposed Indonesian-Australian initiative.

The wreck of HMAS Perth, which entombed an unknown number of the 353 Australian sailors who died when it was sunk by Japanese torpedoes in the 1942 Battle of Sunda Strait, has been subjected to "systematic" poaching, with privateers stripping iron and fittings from the cruiser.

Australia's Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs wrote to Indonesian Navy Chief Admiral Dr Marsetio late last year and Australian embassy defence staff in Jakarta are liaising with Indonesian officials to protect the site from further theft.

www.heraldsun.com.au...

Hopefully they work something out.

AlphaHawk
reply to post by Xcathdra

 

They are protected under the UNESCO Underwater Cultural Heritage.

www.unesco.org...

I don't think Australia and/or Indonesia have singled onto it.

I was under the impression that signatory status was not used in this case. I thought it was one of those this is how it goes based on the fact the ships are usually graves for people.

I could be wrong.. Either way thanks for the link.

reply to post by AlphaHawk


I really don't think there will be much if any Human remains to be found after all this time. As to them making a profit, well show me an endeavour that humanity perseus these days that does not involve profit?

The only difference between doing this and archaeology, is that from the archaeological perspective, generally there is no one left around to insult.

what s with all the anti-indonesian propaganda lately (especially from you )... getting paid for this? or already drank the kool-aid ?

"Boooohoooo they re scrapping metal for profit, without regard of the corpses on board" ... tell me again how s that any different or worse than what Mr. Abbot has planed for the barrier reer (aka coal-ship terminal ) for profit... if others do it it s greed / profit... if you do it it s in the national interest / development... others hate, you merely critisize, others are vain, you re merely self-confident, see how that goes?

So please, for your own sake... do not let yourself being instrumentalized for some agenda which will NOT benefit any AUS citizen but will cause endless grief for both nations... makes you a mere pawn/cannon fodder...

reply to post by Dynamitrios


I second this! This board is getting flooded by "Those Indonesians!"-thrashings! Mods?

reply to post by ManFromEurope


Flooded?

Really?

How many anti Obama-care threads are there, often written and posted in by the same few people?

Sorry if Australian current affairs offends you.

Dynamitrios
what s with all the anti-indonesian propaganda lately (especially from you )... getting paid for this? or already drank the kool-aid ?

"Boooohoooo they re scrapping metal for profit, without regard of the corpses on board" ... tell me again how s that any different or worse than what Mr. Abbot has planed for the barrier reer (aka coal-ship terminal ) for profit... if others do it it s greed / profit... if you do it it s in the national interest / development... others hate, you merely critisize, others are vain, you re merely self-confident, see how that goes?

So please, for your own sake... do not let yourself being instrumentalized for some agenda which will NOT benefit any AUS citizen but will cause endless grief for both nations... makes you a mere pawn/cannon fodder...

edit on 23-1-2014 by Dynamitrios because: SATAN AND HITLER TOLD ME TOO !!!111!!!!!1111

Well to be honest, you have been quite active in Australian threads over the last couple of days, and have even posted some inflammatory stuff against and about Australians. As such, i do not think you are in the position to start rambling against the OP.

I guarantee that if it was a war grave from your country, you wouldn't feel too delighted either. It doesn't matter who is conducting the robbing, it is about respect.

I do not think that this incident can be compared to the incident at the Great Barrier Reef.

ManFromEurope
reply to post by Dynamitrios

 

I second this! This board is getting flooded by "Those Indonesians!"-thrashings! Mods?

What, 3 threads???

If you don't like them, don't click on them. This thread doesn't have much to do with Australians hating on the Indonesians. If you had bothered to read through the thread, you would notice that both governments are trying to work something out.

AlphaHawk
reply to post by ManFromEurope

 

Flooded?

Really?

How many anti Obama-care threads are there, often written and posted in by the same few people?

Sorry if Australian current affairs offends you.

Yes, flooded. I would guess that about 80% of the audience of this board comes from the USA, so they have a firsthand idea about Obamacare. How many are coming from Australia or Indonesia?

And secondly, current affairs do not offend me - but your accusing style to see "the other ones" only as the enemy, spoken about in a very harsh way! This is bad style, not worthy of a board consisting mostly of thinking people.

And that, my dear Aussie (and I hold your country really in the highest favors - besides the f*ing spiders!) is why I am entitled to critize any posting I find offending. Not the country or its affairs (well, maybe that too, but not today), but the content and direction of those postings.

daaskapital

ManFromEurope
reply to post by Dynamitrios

 

I second this! This board is getting flooded by "Those Indonesians!"-thrashings! Mods?

What, 3 threads???

If you don't like them, don't click on them. This thread doesn't have much to do with Australians hating on the Indonesians. If you had bothered to read through the thread, you would notice that both governments are trying to work something out.

I wrote a comment. If you don't like that, you could ignore them.

And that the governments are trying to find a way out of warmongering is the best we all could wish for!
Nevertheless, the onesided, aggressive postings are a bad way to show support for the "Australian way". Yes, the are showing lots of hate.

ManFromEurope

daaskapital

ManFromEurope
reply to post by Dynamitrios

 

I second this! This board is getting flooded by "Those Indonesians!"-thrashings! Mods?

What, 3 threads???

If you don't like them, don't click on them. This thread doesn't have much to do with Australians hating on the Indonesians. If you had bothered to read through the thread, you would notice that both governments are trying to work something out.

I wrote a comment. If you don't like that, you could ignore them.

And that the governments are trying to find a way out of warmongering is the best we all could wish for!
Nevertheless, the onesided, aggressive postings are a bad way to show support for the "Australian way". Yes, the are showing lots of hate.

True, but 3 threads is hardly flooding ATS. ATS allows two threads of the same incident as long as they are in BAN and OCE respectively. This one? Well it has nothing to do with the current Australian/Indonesian dispute.

It only appears one-sided because there are more Australians on the site than Indonesians. I do not doubt that the posts are aggressive, they are. But Indonesia is currently harming Australia through alternative means, all for domestic political power.

I'm sure the US wouldn't be too happy if a major partner of theirs suddenly flipped the switch on things like trading, military cooperation, and Asylum seekers, among other things.

reply to post by daaskapital


yeah, right... i d start a war, over some old rusted metal and bones... i do not give a # of memorabilia of the past, even if my frigging grandpa had served on this ship... and i m greek, so thats that about digging up stuff and taking it somewhere else...


I respond into AUS threads, because i see a sinister trend for the past few years down there, to just shut up and take everything that the US wants to test out, up the rear... i m worried, that s all... i don t want another US pawn anywhere, and you guys have been on the fast-lane becoming one...