The Hon Julie Bishop
Minister for Foreign
Affairs
House of Representatives, Parliament
House
Canberra ACT 2600
29th
Jan 2014
Dear Minister
Today, in my role as filmmaker, I followed a small group of
Cambodian human rights activists as they moved from embassy to embassy around
Phnom Penh. They were delivering petitions requesting the international
community to put pressure on the Cambodian government to release from prison of
23 striking garment factory workers arrested earlier this month. Four or five
of their co-workers were killed when Cambodian soldiers opened fire on the
demonstrators.
The authorities tried to prevent the petitioners from walking
from embassy to embassy and it seemed for a while that they would again, as
they did on Tuesday 27th, use brute force to prevent the rally from
continuing. Violence was averted when the human rights activists told the
authorities they would not walk but would deliver their petitions by tuk tuk.
And so they did for the next couple of embassies but before long they were
walking en masse – in defiance of the authorities. The police and the
black-helmeted security guards maintained their distance, keeping a watchful
eye, but had clearly been instructed not to use violence today.
Decisions to either use violence or not are made by Prime
Minister Hun Sen, as I am sure you will be aware. One day he is Bad Cop, the
next Good Cop. One day his police, army and baton-wielding Darth Vader look
alikes are beating people up, the next standing by, zapping their electrified
cattle prods to intimidate Cambodians demonstrating peacefully on behalf the
jailed factory workers.
The clearest indication of how this stand-off will play itself
out is to be found in a statement made recently by Hun Sen’s son, Hun Many:
“I might not be able to contain the
CPP youth and supporters any longer…Their hearts are burning with hatred toward
the leaders of the CNRP from listening to the barking, cursing and insults to
the CPP leaders and especially to the Prime Minister.”
And in a message to
ambassadors yesterday, CPP National Assembly President Heng Samrin had
the following to say:
“All ambassadors should know what happens
and react promptly to any activities deemed scornful or aggressive in manner to
the nation.”
What is the attacking and beating of Cambodian’s peacefully
protesting if not “aggressive in manner?” As for responding with violence to
“activities deemed scornful”, no comment needs to be made. Please, Minister,
search out and view the many images and video clips available online that
reveal how the authorities deals with ‘scornful’ Cambodians; with ‘barking,
cursing’ protestors who insult Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Given the amount of foreign aid provided by Australia to
Cambodia each year I believe it would be appropriate for the Australian
government to publically condemn the violence being perpetrated by Cambodian
authorities against Cambodian protestors who are exercising their
constitutional right to freedom of assembly and freedom of speech.
best wishes
James Ricketson
James Ricketson
No comments:
Post a Comment