Aussie Flag burner's Kokoda trek
Flag burner's Kokoda trek
By Justin Vallejo
April 04, 2007 12:00
FROM burning the Australian flag and offending the memory of our fallen Diggers to following their footsteps on the Kokoda Track.
A Sydney teenager started on a 110km trek through dense Papua New Guinea jungle yesterday after critics said he could never learn the values of the flag he so infamously desecrated.
In the w
More..ake of the Cronulla riots, Ali Ammar – who can today be identified for the first time with the consent of him and his family – stole the Australian flag from the Brighton-le-Sands RSL Club and set it alight.
There was outrage when Mr Ammar was offered a flag-bearer's position in the Anzac Day parade as part of an ambitious plan by NSW RSL president Don Rowe to help turn the teenager's life around.
"When that story came out there was a lot of anger by people who saw it as some sort of reward and said, 'Go make him walk the Kokoda Track instead'," Mr Rowe said. "When the chance to actually do that came along he was very keen and excited about it.
"It will give him a great appreciation about what young Australians his age suffered during the war."
Mr Ammar, 18, has embraced the walk and trained every day over the past few months so he can do it justice.
The walk began with about 20 other young men and women, some with similarly chequered pasts and others identified by the RSL for the Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge.
Hassan Ammar said the family was in tears as his nephew left on Monday for the 10-day hike.
"We're so happy that this has all turned around for him. He has been in so much trouble in the past three years," he said.
"But now he is ready to put his hand up and take responsibility. He is not ashamed of who he is any more.
"Everybody does mistakes but we're way beyond all that trouble now and the family is much closer because of it."
By taking part he is required to make a commitment to community service as a form of repayment.
This is on top of legal sanctions for the the 2005 flag burning, including an apology to the RSL members.
RSL & Services Clubs Association boss Graeme Carroll said the trek was not about more punishment.
"This is about showing him other ways to live," Mr Carroll said.
My thoughts, they all should do it.. Less..
Added: Apr 3 2007 In: news_politics
By: smeblee Premium 
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Comments - sort by oldest to newest
lol.spoken like a true aussie!
Posted Sep-5-2008 by "asylumta2" (R)
burning the australian flag is the most disrespectful thing a person can do to australians this prick should be strung up my the scrodum and burnt alive
Posted Aug-28-2008 by "Alien firefox" (R)
I was all for killing him when it happened. But thanks to the wisdom of my elders, it seems such drastic action would have been wrong.
Posted Oct-20-2007 by "boofhead" (R)
i agree.
Posted Aug-12-2007 by ".c0r3." (R)