Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have on various occasions spoken about human rights abuses in Vietnam and other areas around the globe. It is a matter that I am particularly passionate about, as I believe in a society where people's fundamental human rights are respected. Unfortunately, I am painfully aware of violations of human rights in other parts of the world, where millions of people live under constant fear and oppression. This includes Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in our region, with a population of 15 million people who live under the tight control of the governing political administration. When I think about Cambodia, the word 'tragedy' springs to mind as I think of the astronomical price its people have had to pay in the war for leadership over the years.

We saw the impact of the Khmer Rouge regime led by the murderous Pol Pot throughout the 1970s. It resulted in the genocide of eight million people, through starvation, overwork and executions. This was the darkest time in Cambodia's history and probably one of the darkest times in the history of mankind. Unfortunately, Cambodia's tragedy does not seem to have ended there. The country is now facing growing criticism, both internally and from international sources, about its ongoing poor record of human rights abuses. Reports from Human Rights Watch note a marked deterioration in the situation, where protesters are being attacked, harassed and prosecuted by the country's security forces. Freedom of speech is virtually non-existent, with the government suppressing all forms of media and communication. This applies not only to the general public but also the international community.

I met with Mr Sam Rainsy, the opposition leader and Leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, during his visit to Australia last week. Mr Rainsy has been in self-imposed exile since 2009, living in France after charges were laid against him following his criticism of corruption and human rights abuses by Cambodia's ruling party. The opposition leader has been unable to return to Cambodia to contest the election in July because of fears that he would be jailed on arrival. When I met with Mr Rainsy in Sydney he explained the effect of flawed governance under the current regime and outlined his concerns for the future of Cambodia.

Various international human rights reports and, indeed, the UN itself speak of the political influence being exerted by state security forces as well as land grabs by influential and powerful people and corruption in business practices generally. It would appear that within Cambodia judicial officers seem to have been compromised through their political patronage and indeed it would also appear that the essence of leadership in Cambodia is one of exploitation rather than service. As the national election approaches in July this year, the international community anticipates, regrettably, a surge in violent incidents, a crackdown on protesters and an escalation of human rights abuses.

As the member for Fowler I have the privilege of representing the most multicultural electorate in the whole of Australia. Australia is known to be a country that is generous. Indeed, we welcomed over 20,000 Cambodian refugees following the regime of Pol Pot. More than 5,000 of those refugees actually live in my electorate. I have seen the wonderful contribution they have brought to our community through their culture, their religion and their capacity for hard work. They still care about the welfare and well-being of Cambodia and its people, and so should we. Cambodia's citizens continue to fight for their fundamental human rights, the freedom to speak their mind and the freedom to practise their religion—rights we take for granted here in Australia.

Laos is a country that is very close geographically to Cambodia and Vietnam. It also has very strong ties in my electorate of Fowler. Its citizens too suffered the denial of basic human rights. I recently met with Reverend Sam Kounthapanya, one of the leaders of the local Laos community in my electorate. Reverend Kounthapanya approached me to raise his concerns regarding the political situation in his homeland. He expressed to me that, since the communist Lao People's Revolution Party took control of the country from the monarchy in 1975, freedom of speech and freedom of religion have been heavily curtailed.

In order to minimise the chance of a challenge to the ruling party the government has maintained tight control over its population and even with multi-party elections I understand that the ruling party vets and pre-approves candidates. This is certainly contrary to the values of freedom and democracy. The Lao community in my electorate and across Australia have initiated a campaign to assist their homeland citizens to promote freedom of speech and democracy. They have initiated a petition to raise these issues and demonstrate that Australians of Lao descent stand strongly against human right abuses.

There are currently 12,000 people with Lao ancestry in Australia. Happily, 2,500 of those people live in my electorate of Fowler. They are all very active members of the community. They make a great contribution. They are very strong and passionate in advocating on behalf of the citizens of Laos who are suffering human rights abuses at the hands of their government.

On many occasions in this place I have spoken about the gross human rights violations against Christians and other minorities, including the Assyrians and followers of the Mandaean faith in the Middle East. Many who fled the atrocities in Iraq in 2003 have found themselves seeking refuge in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and surrounding countries. I recently attended a memorial service of a young 15-year-old boy—Adam Ghalib Al-Zuhairi. He was killed by a bomb during the shelling of Jerrmana in Syria. His 22-year-old brother was also injured. I met with their father, a refugee and resident of Liverpool in my electorate. Over a thousand local people attended the memorial service.

Adam's father managed to relocate to Australia 18 months ago and was granted refugee status. The mother, two daughters and three sons, including Adam, applied for settlement in Australia and were awaiting the processing of their applications. The family fled Iraq in 2005. They fled the tyranny that existed there, only to find themselves in an equally dire situation in Syria. The reason they fled Iraq in the first place was their faith. This is the fate of a large number of Mandaeans, Syrians and various Christian minorities who were forced to move from their home in Iraq since the war started in 2003. This is certainly an issue that concerns all of us because we were part of the coalition of the willing. These people are the collateral damage of what occurred in an effort to get rid of Sadam Hussein but they should not be expected to pay the price.