Hundreds of people have gathered at two separate rallies in Sydney to protest human rights abuses in several countries, including Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.
Each group has a different message for their visiting leader, but together, the demonstrators were advocating for human rights, rather than trade, to be the main topic of discussion at the special summit in Sydney.
Shaking blood-stained hands
The heads of government from most of the 10 ASEAN member countries are in Sydney to attend the summit.
Many protesters have voiced their disappointment in Australia hosting Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
President of the Cambodian Australian Federation and Victorian MP Hong Lim said Hun Sen's visit is "just not acceptable."
Addressing the crowd he said Malcolm Turnbull is shaking blood-stained hands.
"I hope the Prime Minister washes his hands many, many times because it’s the hand of blood, the hand of exploitation, the hand of criminality, the hand of brutality, he said.
He told SBS that the Cambodian Prime Minister is dissolving democracy.
"Hun Sen has destroyed the opposition party, locked up the leader.
"I mean, could you imagine if Bill Shorten was locked up and not allowed to do what he was elected to do."
Protesters burn effigy of Hun Sen
The Cambodian Prime Minister threatened to hunt down and beat anyone who demonstrated against him during his trip to Sydney for the ASEAN-Australia summit.
Cambodian communities from across Australia gather in a temple carpark, preparing to burn effigies of Hun Sen #ASEANinAus @SBSNews pic.twitter.com/6TK4vhY271 — Hannah Sinclair (@HanSinclair) March 17, 2018
The community says Hen Sen warned anyone planning to protest, “If you dare to make an effigy of me and burn it, I will pursue you and beat you in your homes.”
The threat has not stopped hundreds of Cambodian expats in Australia from rallying against the leader.
This afternoon protestors burnt effigies of Hun Sen at a Sydney temple.
It's the second time this month after a group met in Bonnyrigg on 10 March to burn a Hen Sen effigy.
A community spokesman said, “We would never have thought of burning an effigy before, but once Hun Sen issued a challenge to us, we wanted to show we are not afraid of him.”
Calls for Australian goverment to take action
Members of the Myanmar's Rohingya Community in Australia have chanted for Aung San Suu Kyi to go home, many angry after she failed to condemn the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, who were forced to flee their homeland.
One community member told SBS he wants to see the Australian government take action.
"The Australian government has to condemn and criticise what is happening there," he said.
"Everyone is looking at Australia as a leader nation, as a diplomatic and democratic country, they are hoping country’s like Australia will do something for them.
"This government, the Aung Sang Su Kyi government has been terrorising the minority including Rohingya for many years, and then she has been defending the military action. This needs to be stopped by world leaders, so we need to Australia start taking action."
Share
