Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

The government is concerned that the Cambodian opposition leader, Mr Sam Rainsy, has had an arrest warrant issued against him in relation to a 2008 defamation case and has been removed from his parliamentary position, and by recent actions against opposition parliamentarians. Australia's Ambassador to Cambodia has raised our concerns with the Cambodian government, and our embassy in Phnom Penh continues to monitor the situation closely.

The government does not, however, believe it is appropriate or productive to use the parliament as a platform for statements that might be interpreted as interfering with Cambodia's right to determine its own judicial processes. We will continue to pursue these issues through private discussions with the Cambodian government. We support the United Nations Secretary-General in urging the Cambodian People's Party and the Cambodia National Rescue Party to return to democratic dialogue free from fear of arrest or persecution.