Australia has joined 44 other nations at the UN human rights council in condemning growing political violence and repression in Cambodia ahead of elections there this year. It is understood the pair discussed human rights issues and the upcoming elections, as well as trade and the region’s nuclear threats. But Australia maintains a controversial and expensive refugee deal where it sends refugees from its Nauru offshore processing centre to Cambodia, despite concerns over widespread human rights abuses in the south-east Asian country. These backward steps include signs of escalating repression of the political opposition, civil society and media,” the countries said. The human rights council heard the Cambodian government used the country’s courts to jail political opponents and dissolve opposition parties.

Source: The Guardian March 22, 2018 02:26 UTC