Family have body but seek answers

The family of former Mandurah painter and decorator Jamie Bright say they will not rest until they discover what led him to make the fatal decision to join the war against Islamic State in Syria.

The body of Mr Bright, who was killed in May fighting with Kurdish forces, arrived recently in Perth after months of work and negotiations by the Kurdish community in Australia.

While his family are able to take some consolation in the return of the body, they are no closer to understanding what led him to fight for a foreign cause on a foreign battlefield.

Australian security authorities are also looking for answers.

When Mr Bright’s twin brother Andrew went to Perth Airport to receive the body, Australian Federal Police officers were waiting. Counter-terrorism officers are likely to seize any belongings returned to Australia from Syria, including clothing and computer files.

“What caused my twin brother to drop everything and go fight for a cause nobody had heard of?” Andrew Bright asked.

“I do want to find out why. It’s my main priority, it’s my goal in life and I will move heaven and earth to find out why.”

Mr Bright’s body is being held by the WA Coroner.

The family hoped to conduct a burial service on last Saturday if the body was released in time.

A former sapper with the Australian Army, Mr Bright left for Syria in December 2014 after quitting his job as a painter and decorator in Mandurah.

The 44-year-old was killed on May 25 fighting in northern Syria with the US-backed YPG, the Kurdish People’s Protection Unit. The family at first had little hope of getting the body home.

The Turkish Government views the YPG as a terrorist organisation and refused to allow the body to cross its border.

Kurds in Australia eventually managed to negotiate to get the body out through northern Iraq.

Many Kurds are expected to attend the Perth funeral to show support for the family and to give thanks for Mr Bright’s actions in fighting for their cause.

Andrew Bright said he was deeply thankful for the work the Kurds had done in bringing his brother home.

Under recently introduced laws, it is a crime for Australians to travel to parts of Iraq and Syria, even if they are fighting against Islamic State.

The YPG is seen as an arm of the PKK, a listed terrorist organisation in Australia.