Cambodia-Australia Refugees Deal

Cambodia-Australia Refugees Deal

Commentary by Theary C. Seng, 24 April 2015

Theary C. Seng, April 2015

It is not difficult to divine the motivation for Cambodia to accept this refugee deal from Australia: free, easy money in the whopping sum of USD35 million. It is an open secret that the Cambodian officials will personally pocket the bulk of these millions earmarked for the refugees, leaving the refugees to fend for themselves in the killing fields of Cambodia. If these Cambodian officials abuse their own citizens of their own blood and heritage, strip away land from their own citizens, plunder the national coffers and resources that could lift the Cambodian citizens from extreme poverty, one would be a complete naif or worse to think that genuine assistance and proper funding will be given to these impoverished, vulnerable foreigners.

The issue here is not the motivation of the Cambodian officials which is transparently obvious to anyone with an ounce of integrity but that of the Australian government.

I am greatly appalled by the blatant violations and heartless disregard by Australia of international law, binding covenants and conventions relating to rights and protection of refugees, particularly relating to those most vulnerable, e.g. children and women.

I am also deeply ashamed on behalf of decent Australians whose image is marred by their government's gross violations and heartless disregard for law and human rights.

Cambodia ranks at the very bottom tier of indices for human development, corruption, education, social welfare, security, inter alia. These refugees will be dumped into a sea of human rights abuses.

Last year Hun Sen said the motivation was strictly humanitarian. Hun Sen has a long history of 30 years for violating and pooh-poohing humanitarian law against his own citizens. It will take more than his say-so to reverse his anti-humanitarian tendency.

 thearyseng.com