By Sahar Foladi
A Federal MP has branded a South-East branch of the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce as a “fake” and a “front” for the Cambodian Government.
The CCC was launched in Melbourne’s South-East on 6 May, with guests including the Cambodian Government’s secretaries of state.
Bruce MP Julian Hill said the “fake Cambodian Chamber of Commerce has no credibility.”
“It appears to be just a front for Cambodian dictator Hun Sen’s CPP political party in Australia,” Mr Hill said.
“The so-called election was presided over by the Cambodian ambassador to Australia and Cambodian Australians who support peace democracy and human rights in Cambodia have warned that people should have nothing to do with this group.”
The CCC is said to foster bilateral business investment between the two countries.
“The climate of business investment will not improve for as long as the (Cambodian) government and courts remain so corrupt,” Mr Hill said.
Works are underway to establish an official website for the Melbourne representatives of the chamber to establish social media pages, including pages for the 15 board members as well.
CCC is seeking a facility in the south-east to establish its branch.
Delegates from the Cambodian-based chamber were present at the launch including vice-president Lim Heng, as well as Buon Sarakmony, the Ministry of Commerce secretary of state.
The elected South-East president, Tan Sith Tee, said that the Cambodian Ministry of Justice secretary of state spokesperson, Kim Santepheap was also present.
Mr Tee later retracted, saying Mr Santepheap was present at the network dinner but had nothing to do with the elections in Melbourne.
Earlier this year, Mr Hill stated that Mr Santepheap should be banned from entering Australia.
Mr Tee rejected Mr Hill’s “ridiculous” statements on the CCC saying as a businessman he has nothing to do with politics and the chamber is purely for business.
“I’m not into politics. I’m just doing business between the countries”
Mr Tee said people like Mr Hill, Minister of Home Affairs Clare O’Neil and some Cambodian groups were creating “too much mess for Cambodians” in Australia instead of focusing on more important matters in the country.
Ms O’Neil made a speech in 2018 against Hun Sen and recently a speech on interference of foreign regimes on Australian soil.
“To me this is nonsense. For an MP to go after nonsense, I won’t waste my time,” Mr Tee said.
“He’s (Mr Hill) only taking one side of it because as a Labor MP they stick together.”
He said both Ms O’Neil and Mr Hill’s speeches in Parliament against the regime are untrue.
In 2018 Cambodian president Sen visited Australia ahead of the ASEAN Australia summit meeting in Sydney.
In a speech to parliament on 7 March 2023, Mr Hill said protesters were threatened by Mr Sen who were “planning to burn effigies of him that he would ‘pursue them to their houses and beat them up’.”
Mr Hill went on to address the “anonymous” death threats received by Australians after a month of his visit.
“A month later, by coincidence, anonymous death threats were sent to Australians, including then-state MP Hong Lim, Clarinda MP Meng Heang Tak and then-councillor Youhorn Chea, as well as the wife of a murdered Cambodian political analyst, Kem Ley.”
“These threats were from a person purporting to be a member of Hun Sen’s ruling family, who threatened to shoot them dead.
“Hun Sen’s nephew Hun To was questioned by police about these threats.”
Mr Hill ended his speech expressing his “firm view” that people like Hun To and Mr Santepheap should be banned from entering Australia.
“We need to do what else we can to shine a light on organised foreign influence and the network of fake community organisations run out of the Cambodian embassy.”
At the time, Mr Santeapheap rejected Mr Hill’s “fabricated” allegations, according to Khmer Times.
Recently, the main opposition, Candlelight Party was disqualified ahead of July election over its failure to submit proper registration documents.
“I was appalled last week to see Hun Sen has banned the only real opposition from this July’s election,” Mr Hill said.
“We cannot pretend that Cambodia under Hun Sen is a real democracy or earned any credibility to these sham elections.”
Clarinda MP Meng Heang Tak, in a speech to State Parliament said this is not the first time a real opposition party has been dissolved.
“This is history repeating. In 2018 the CPP won every single seat in the 125-seat National Assembly after the main opposition alliance was dissolved by the politically controlled court and the leader Kem Sokha was sentenced to 27 years in jail.
“Once again Hun Sen has eliminated any real challenge in yet another election.
“I call on the Australian Embassy and the Australian government to condemn this action in the strongest possible terms and continue to push for a return to a pluralist democracy, as enshrined in the Cambodian constitution.
“This is a dark day for Cambodians both in country and here in Australia.”
Youhorn Chea – who is Cambodian Association of Victoria president – said the group’s launch was “no good at all”.
“It divides the Cambodian community in two. They try to get people to support that group but refugees and normal people won’t support it.”
Mr Sen has remained the Prime Minister of Cambodia since 1998, coming from a military background.
According to Human Rights Watch, Mr Sen and his ruling Cambodia People’s Party (CPP) have benefited from unquestioning support from senior officials in the army, gendarmerie and police to dissolve main opposition party.
“The Australian government continues to express its support for human rights and democracy including in Cambodia.”
Mr Hill said he’ll continue to call out “these fake community groups” that interfere “in the rights of Australian citizens to speak up for human rights and democracy.”
“I will continue to push department of Home Affairs to stop granting tourist visas to officials from Cambodia who’re clearly here for foreign interference.”
Meanwhile, articles on the launch of CCC in Australia have been making rounds online on The Phonm Penh Post and the pro-CPP English newspaper, Khmer Times.
