By
The Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia - In an unprecedented crackdown on bullying and beatings within the ranks, Australia's military stopped work yesterday to give soldiers and sailors a talk on respect and being nice.
About 50,000 Australian military personnel around the country and on warships overseas attended a two-hour lecture warning against intimidation and harassment. All normal military activity was canceled.
The crackdown comes after an inquiry into brutality in the military, including beatings and humiliation. Eleven soldiers are facing charges in connection with alleged bullying.
The Australian Defense Association, a private group that campaigns for a strong military, said the crackdown would damage military morale.
"Very often in the mind of the self-styled victim, what will be fairly robust behavior as part of the toughening up process ... will be called (bullying)," the association's executive director, Michael O'Connor, told The Associated Press.
In Sydney, some 600 sailors were shown a video of colleagues being beaten during a "crossing the line" ceremony to initiate those who were sailing across the equator for the first time.
Afterward, many of the sailors appeared scornful or skeptical, saying rough treatment was a part of military life.
Bullying in the military became a major issue after harassment allegations surfaced in the army's elite parachute unit. At least 30 soldiers said they were victims of illegal punishments in the battalion in 1997 and 1998.
The stand-down also covered patrol boat crews and soldiers on landing craft off East Timor, where Australian forces are on U.N. peacekeeping duty. Soldiers in East Timor on operational duty were excused from the lectures but will have to attend them later.
"I think the seriousness of the situation is very evident in the video that we put out, and I think most people understand why this is important and why we've got to go through this process," said Defense Force chief Admiral Chris Barrie.
