With the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey still underway across the country, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that 10 million eligible Australians have now returned their survey forms.
With three weeks left until the final deadline, some communities remain undecided whether or not to tick 'Yes' or 'No.'
So what does Australia's Cambodian community think? SBS Khmer sought out the opinion of different community leaders to find out if they'd be choosing Yes or No.
Many turning to their faith for guidance on how to vote and over 78.9 per cent of Australia's Khmer speakers identifying as Buddhist in the 2016 Census, SBS Khmer approached the Khmer Buddhist Centre Inc to ask if they were campaigning for their congregations to side one way or another.
"No" vote on the same sex married postal survey Source: SBS Khmer
Head of the organisation Ieng Ngor that the temple was not taking an official stance with no campaigns or activities planned around the issue. He did advise though that he personally selected 'No' on his survey form.
After Buddhism, Christian faiths are the second most popular religions among the Khmer-speaking community.
Pastor Seak Ying Luy of the Macarthur Cambodian Church in Sydney says he is voting 'No,' and encouraging his parishioners to do the same.
"If you vote 'Yes,' there will be the same-sex marriage in church, man with man, or lady with lady, which is completely against god’s wishes," says Paster Luy.
He tells SBS Khmer that if the Australian Marriage Equality law passes, it will have a broader affect on the lives of everyday Australians.
"At home it could be no more word for 'daddy' or 'mummy,'" he says.
Luy also takes a similar position to that taken in ads airing nationally by the 'No campaign," that state: "Removing gender from our marriage laws means removing gender from our classroom."
He says "At school, there will be no more boys or girls."
"Boys can wear skirts and girls can wear pants to school."
"Not allowing gay or lesbian weddings in the church is not the discrimination against them, but it’s the respect of god’s desire, in order to fertilise more lives," says Paster Luy of the Macarthur Cambodian Church.
Luy's views however are not representative of the whole Cambodian community.
Among those who will be ticking 'Yes,' in support of changes the Australian Marriage Law to allow same sex marriage, are Mr Kong Meng, an elder in the community and former leader of the organisation Khmer Community in Victoria.
Mr Kong Meng, centre, pictured at the Khmer 40 years anniversary celebration 2016. Source: SBS Khmer
Meng said he would be selecting Yes - "even though it’s conflicting from Khmer customs and [marriage] traditions."
"We should open up our minds to accept the reality that is happening all over the world."
Mr Meng, elderly and the former leader of Khmer Community in Victoria defends his choice.
"Those gay or lesbian people should have the right to choose the person they love like anyone else," he says.
"We should open up our minds to accept the reality that is happening all over the world."
The Cambodian Association of Victoria, which is also Buddhist and heavily involved in the Buddhist temple, declined to comment on the issue, advising that there aren't any official campaigns in place to support either the 'Yes' or 'No' stance.
A representative for the group advised that "Everyone in the community has their own view, there is no unanimous opinion to represent the whole community."
Forms must be received by the 7th of November. The final results will be announced on 15th November 2017.
Source: AAP
Have your say by just ticking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the form. Put it in the Reply-Paid envelope and mail it back.
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