CANBERRA – A commemoration ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the battle of Long Tan in Vietnam has been cancelled.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said the Vietnamese Government had advised the Australian Government that it will “not permit the ceremony to commemorate Vietnam Veteran’s Day at the Long Tan cross site at 3:30pm on August 18 to proceed”.

The department also said it understood private access to the site was still permitted and the advice of exercising normal safety precautions in Vietnam was still current.

Australia had been working closely with Vietnamese authorities for 18 months to prepare for the event, the DFAT statement said.

At a press conference in Canberra, Veterans Affairs Minister Dan Tehan said that he was bitterly disappointed and empathetic to all veterans of the Vietnam War.

He added that the reason given by Vietnamese authorities to cancel the event was due to sensitivity.

More than 1000 Australians had travelled to Vietnam to attend the anniversary memorial service.

Commemorations will continue in Australia on Wednesday evening and Thursday.
– TiVi Tuan-san