Exiled Cambodian leaders urge ‘gullible’ government to ignore Hun Manet’s ‘lip service’ ahead of visit

Exiled Cambodian leaders have warned the Australian government against being ‘gullible’ on Hun Manet’s ‘lip service’ on reform ahead of his first country visit since assuming power.

Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen with Anthony Albanese in Phnom Penh in 2022. Picture: AFP

Exiled Cambodian opposition leaders have warned the Australian government against being “gullible” about Prime Minister Hun Manet’s “lip service” on reform ahead of his first international visit since assuming power last August.

Accusing Australia of lacking a “clear stand” on the new regime and human rights abuses, they also raised concerns about the safety of the Australian Khmer community during the Prime Minister’s March visit.

Speaking from exile in France, Sam Rainsy – co-founder of the banned Cambodian National Rescue Party – told The Australian that Anthony Albanese should use the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit to put “hard questions” to the new leader.

“It would be a disservice (by the government) to do ‘business as usual’ with Hun Manet,” he said. “The Australian government has to pay attention to the worsening human rights situation in Cambodia.”

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Picture: AFP

Mr Rainsy has been in self-exile, convicted of multiple offences in absentia, including most recently in 2022 when a Cambodian court found him guilty of attempting to overthrow the government.

Human rights groups have called his other, similar convictions “shams”.

His party at the 2013 general election came close to unseating the ruling Cambodian People’s Party before it was dissolved.

No party before or after has come as close.

Hun Manet’s father, Hun Sen, ruled the country for 38 years until after winning a July 2023 general election where the main opposition were banned on a technicality, he resigned, appointing his son.

The new government, however, has seemingly not changed tack – at least not yet.

Mr Rainsy said no political prisoners had been released under the new regime, and more activists had been arrested. “(It has to help) ensure in Cambodia there is the rule of law, good governance and helps fight corruption,” he said.

Sam Rainsy in Phnom Penh in 2014. Picture: Getty Images

High-profile political prisoner Kem Sokha – sentenced in 2023 on treason charges – remains serving a 27-year house arrest and a court in January rejected a review of the measures.

In January, an agricultural salesman was charged with incitement after criticising a government minister on social media, and could face up to three years in jail. That same month, CPP lawyers filed a lawsuit seeking $500,000 in damages from the deputy chief of Cambodia’s biggest rights group, ADHOC, over alleged remarks that had caused “dishonour” to the party.

“Governments, including Aus­tralia’s, have become gullible and naive,” Mr Rainsy said. “They think Hun Manet will liberalise the regime … that ‘we have to be patient (and things will change)’ – this is an illusion.”

Mr Rainsy urged the government to treat Hun Manet’s visit as an opportunity to demand he make good on “lip service”.

“Don’t expect that a change of person would change the system,” he said, calling on the government to demand Hun Manet release political prisoners.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at East Asia Summit Gala in Phnom Penh in 2022. Picture: AFP

Mr Rainsy also urged the government to push Hun Manet on a Chinese-funded naval base, which, he said, would contravene the country’s constitutionally enshrined neutrality: “Australia should not be content with denial from the regime.”

Hun Manet has said “no foreign military bases” would be allowed on Cambodian territory, citing that requirement in the country’s constitution, and re­affirming the country’s neutrality. However, the US has raised “serious concerns” about China’s “exclusive control over portions of the base”.

Former CRNP vice-president Mu Sochua – who lives in exile in the US – said the Australian government had failed to take a strong position. “Australia has not taken a clear stand on the Hun Manet regime or its continued repression of the Cambodian opposition, which includes beatings of its supporters,” she said.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil spoke of diaspora communities, and their families back home, being “threatened, harassed or intimidated”, Ms Sochua said.

“There can be no doubt Cambodia was among countries she had in mind.”

Mu Sochua pictured in Jakarta in 2019. Picture: Graham Crouch

The ASEAN summit will be held from March 4 in Melbourne and Ms Sochua referenced Hun Sen threatening to beat up protesters during a 2018 visit to the country, alleging critics of the ­regime had been under “surveillance”.

“Allowing Hun Manet high-profile recognition as a visiting leader allows arrests and beatings to continue,” she said. “Australia’s trade with Cambodia must be conditional on progress on human rights and democracy.”

Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson, urged the government not to be “taken in” by Hun Manet’s “charm offensive”, saying he was “old wine in a new bottle, no different from his father when it comes to violating human rights or subverting democracy to preserve his own power”.

Protesters in Sydney rally against a visit from Hun Sen in 2018. Picture: AAP

“Canberra’s attempts to position itself as a mediator in the international community’s relations with Cambodia has simply condemned Australia to serve as an unwitting stooge in Manet’s propaganda campaign.”

Hun Manet has said he hoped his visit to Australia would help attract investors to the kingdom and boost trade.

A CPP spokesman refuted the notion there were “political prisoners” and said it was “politicians who commit crimes or violated the law. Cambodia is the same as the other countries as rule of law.

“Legal action and law enforcement is not consider(ed) as a human rights violation.”

The spokesman said Hun Manet would strengthen ties with Australia and “meet peacefully” with the diaspora.