Cambodia's human rights history slammed
AAP
Senior federal Labor MP Simon Crean has joined Cambodian community members to question the human rights record of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Cambodians in Melbourne have staged a peaceful protest against Mr Hun Sen to highlight allegations of serious abuses under his regime.
Mr Hun Sen will be given a state reception in Melbourne attended by Victorian Deputy Premier John Thwaites and Labor backbencher Hong Lim, who is Cambodian by birth.
But Melbourne's local Cambodian community is not happy that the litany of alleged violations have been overlooked during Mr Hun Sen's visit to Australia.
Many of them live in Mr Crean's electorate and the Labor MP put their concerns to the Cambodian prime minister during a meeting in Canberra.
Mr Crean said he canvassed the issues of human rights abuses, denial of rights to opposition parties and the principles of good governance with Mr Hun Sen.
He also asked Mr Hun Sen to respond to a United Nations report last month that found human rights were being violated on a systemic scale in Cambodia.
"We essentially said 'they're the principles we're concerned about'. Here's the UN envoy's report. What have you got to say," Mr Crean told AAP.
But Mr Crean said he could not report Mr Hun Sen's response because it was a private meeting.
The UN report, by special envoy Yash Ghai, found long-standing violations in Cambodia - suppression of political parties, subversion of the judiciary, corruption and illegal evictions - were not due to carelessness or poverty.
"Many policies of the government have subverted the essential principles of democracy and due process, deprived people of their economic resources and means of livelihood, and denied them their dignity," the UN envoy said.
In Melbourne, a protest organiser, who wished to remain anonymous, said members of the Australian Cambodian community condemned the alleged abuses but were also afraid to speak out.
"That includes human rights abuses, freedom of expression and also the corruption," he said.
"A lot of people have been killed under his rule," the organiser said.
"There's a strong feeling against him (in the Australian Cambodian community).
"Most people are afraid to express their views because some of them have families back home and some of them might want to return there on holidays."
Mr Hun Sen met with Prime Minister John Howard, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Justice Minister Chris Ellison during his visit to Canberra.
Earlier this year, Human Rights Watch warned Mr Hun Sen appeared to "be following the Burmese model by imprisoning peaceful critics of his increasingly authoritarian government".
Human rights agencies have reported scores of extrajudicial killings since Mr Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party mounted a bloody coup against their coalition government partners in 1997.
Cambodians in Melbourne have staged a peaceful protest against Mr Hun Sen to highlight allegations of serious abuses under his regime.
Mr Hun Sen will be given a state reception in Melbourne attended by Victorian Deputy Premier John Thwaites and Labor backbencher Hong Lim, who is Cambodian by birth.
But Melbourne's local Cambodian community is not happy that the litany of alleged violations have been overlooked during Mr Hun Sen's visit to Australia.
Many of them live in Mr Crean's electorate and the Labor MP put their concerns to the Cambodian prime minister during a meeting in Canberra.
Mr Crean said he canvassed the issues of human rights abuses, denial of rights to opposition parties and the principles of good governance with Mr Hun Sen.
He also asked Mr Hun Sen to respond to a United Nations report last month that found human rights were being violated on a systemic scale in Cambodia.
"We essentially said 'they're the principles we're concerned about'. Here's the UN envoy's report. What have you got to say," Mr Crean told AAP.
But Mr Crean said he could not report Mr Hun Sen's response because it was a private meeting.
The UN report, by special envoy Yash Ghai, found long-standing violations in Cambodia - suppression of political parties, subversion of the judiciary, corruption and illegal evictions - were not due to carelessness or poverty.
"Many policies of the government have subverted the essential principles of democracy and due process, deprived people of their economic resources and means of livelihood, and denied them their dignity," the UN envoy said.
In Melbourne, a protest organiser, who wished to remain anonymous, said members of the Australian Cambodian community condemned the alleged abuses but were also afraid to speak out.
"That includes human rights abuses, freedom of expression and also the corruption," he said.
"A lot of people have been killed under his rule," the organiser said.
"There's a strong feeling against him (in the Australian Cambodian community).
"Most people are afraid to express their views because some of them have families back home and some of them might want to return there on holidays."
Mr Hun Sen met with Prime Minister John Howard, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Justice Minister Chris Ellison during his visit to Canberra.
Earlier this year, Human Rights Watch warned Mr Hun Sen appeared to "be following the Burmese model by imprisoning peaceful critics of his increasingly authoritarian government".
Human rights agencies have reported scores of extrajudicial killings since Mr Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party mounted a bloody coup against their coalition government partners in 1997.
1 comment:
On 11 October 2006, SBS World News at 6:30pm and repeated again on 9:30pm broadcasted (approx. 2 minutes) about Hun Sen's trip to Australia and highlighted his involvement during Khmer Rouge's regime. It was clearly mentioned that many Cambodian-Australian were not happy with him but fear to speak publicly because they still want to visit their beloved country and also still have relatives in Cambodia. Nevertheless, one gentleman has clearly stated that “Hun Sen is a CRIMINAL and he is responsible for the death of many Cambodian people.” This excellence works because millions of Australian watches the World News daily.
I am proud of you those who participated in demonstration and the gentleman appeared on SBS World News.
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