CAMBODIA PRESS-Australia silent on refugee proposal - Phnom Penh Post

A proposal from the Australian Foreign Minister that Cambodia resettles refugees seeking asylum in Australia has drawn condemnation from politicians and rights groups in both countries, who say that the regional power is shirking its responsibilities to refugees by appealing to aid-dependent Cambodia.

The Cambodian government also clarified that it is not keen on taking in refugees fleeing political persecution who might seek to use the Kingdom as a "springboard" for political activities, raising questions about what protection Cambodia would actually offer to those that Australia wishes to send.

(http://link.reuters.com/gyz96v)

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(Phnom Penh Newsroom)

((prak.chanthul@thomsonreuters.com)(+855 12 666 297)(Reuters Messaging: prak.chanthul.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: CAMBODIA PRESS/