Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I feel like the goldfish going around in the bowl. Here we are again with Cambodian dictator Hun Sen up to his old tricks as a national election looms. On Sunday night he closed down pretty much the only independent media outlet in the country—Voice of Democracy. Their crime? Hun Sen was upset about an article that referred to his son. I don't know whether VOD's article was accurate or not, but that's irrelevant. How can Cambodia even pretend to be a democracy when their Prime Minister shuts down a media outlet in just 24 hours? It's ridiculous and embarrassing for them. Real democracies don't shut down media outlets because a politician is upset. There are complaint mechanisms or courts. But this isn't about inaccurate media reporting; it's about Hun Sen shutting down criticism or opposition before July's elections.

Things are set to get worse as he positions his special little boy Hun Manet to take over as Prime Minister. Cambodians are suffering under the same tactics Hun Sen used in 2018. He is threatening to ban the opposition Candlelight Party, just as he jailed opposition leader Kem Sokha and banned the then opposition CNRP. Vice President Thach Setha is already in prison. Australian citizen Son Chhay is harassed in the courts. Chhim Sithar remains in prison.

It seems, sadly, the elections in July will be neither free nor fair. Australia must be careful not to lend credibility to sham elections.

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