Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to welcome to our parliament a large delegation of Cambodian community and religious leaders, including some Venerables from temples around Australia. Welcome to our parliament. It is a huge privilege to represent so many of you in this House. I will say a few words in Khmer first. [Khmer language not transcribed]. To those of you here, I will say that we have had a number of incredibly important meetings today. We have with us in the gallery today people who have fled the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and who have made a life in my community, in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

But what they see when they look back to Cambodia is, unfortunately, a regime that has regressed. We have heard today about some awful repressive practices that have come back—a ban on campaigning during elections, an opposition party that has been thrown into exile. We have seen violence against members of parliament, violence against people in the community. And these leaders have told us today that what they want from this parliament is for us to stand up and say something about these problems. I will say to you in the gallery that we on the Labor side of politics are so concerned with what we hear, and we will continue to speak out—not to clink glasses with Hun Sen but to be out there protecting your rights and trying to restore democracy in Cambodia. Thank you for being here. (Time expired)