Thayer Consultancy Background Brief:

ABN # 65 648 097 123

Australia-Cambodia Relations to
be Put to the Test
February 14, 2024

We are working on a report regarding Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s

upcoming visit to Australia to attend the Australia-ASEAN Special Summit. We seek
your insights into Cambodia-Australia relations and Australia-ASEAN relations.
Our questions are listed below:
Prime Minister Hun Manet will visit Australia for the first time since taking office to
attend the Australia-ASEAN Special Summit early next month. Also, he will meet with
the Cambodian diaspora.
Q1. What is your take on his first official visit to Australia as the head of government?
How will this visit boost bilateral relations?
ANSWER: Hun Manet accession to Prime Minister after national elections in July 2023
provided an opportunity to reset Australia’s bilateral relations with Cambodia. The
faults and shortcoming of the 2023 elections can be sheeted home to Hun Sen.
Hun Sen’s baggage of human rights violations, ultra-nationalism and abrasive
behaviour are now in the past. Manet comes into office with a “clean sheet” so to
speak. Australia and other like-minded countries have a period of five years to
encourage Cambodia to improve its record on human rights and democracy and to
assist Cambodia to be a better team player as a member of ASEAN.
Q2. Cambodia and Australia have enjoyed a strong and close relationship over the past
few decades. Australia has been very generous in providing development aid to
support Cambodia's sustainable development. However, Australia has been criticized
for not being vocal enough about Cambodia's human rights violations and democratic
backsliding. Australia appears to prioritize economic development and growth. What
is your view on this matter?
ANSWER: The current Albanese Labor Government came to power following national
elections in May 2022. The public record on bilateral relations with Cambodia since
then clearly indicates that Australia has prioritised assisting Cambodia’s socio-
economic sustainable development and has been muted in public in criticizing human
right violations and transgressions against democracy.
In sum, Australia has given priority to assisting Cambodia in capacity building in a
number of areas to enable it to play a positive role in ASEAN to reinforce Australia’s
multilateral relations with Southeast Asia.
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Q3. During the summit, Australia will interact with ASEAN as a group, rather than
singling out individual countries for reprimand or lecturing. However, it is important
to have frank conversations with individual leaders, such as Cambodia’s Prime
Minister, to discuss issues such as human rights and democracy. Such meetings could
offer direct support for Cambodia's sustainable and healthy democratic development,
particularly since the new Prime Minister, Hun Manet, maybe more open and
receptive to constructive suggestions from the Australian side. What are your views
on this?
ANSWER: Australia was ASEAN’s first dialogue partner. Australia and ASEAN are
comprehensive strategic partners.
There will be a considerable number of meetings on the sidelines of the Australia-
ASEAN Special Summit. It is highly likely Australia’s Prime Minister will meet one on
one with PM Hun Manet. This is an opportunity to develop a personal relationship and
identify convergence in national interests.
Q4. The special summit will cover a wide range of issues such as regional security,
trade, and climate change. This summit will provide a unique opportunity for Australia
and the regional group to work together and find ways to address common challenges.
As this year marks the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN-Australia dialogue partnership,
and the Summit will be crucial in shaping future relations between the two, what do
you think the outcome of this summit will be?
ANSWER: The Australia-ASEAN summit will release a joint statement outlining a wide-
ranging agenda for a new Plan of Action for the next several years.
Priority will be given to enhancing ASEAN centrality, ASEAN-led multilateral
mechanisms, and ASEAN community building through a renewal of the Australia for
ASEAN Futures Initiative. New assistance in educational and vocational scholarships,
digital transformation, health security, and regional trade (ASEAN-Australia-New
Zealand Free-Trade Area or AANZFTA, and Regional and Comprehensive Economic
Partnership, RCEP) will be announced.
Also, ASEAN and Australia will recommit to furthering cooperation in the four priority
areas in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP): maritime cooperation,
connectivity, sustainable development to 2030 and economic cooperation (Blue
economy, climate change mitigation and green economy transformation).

Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Australia-Cambodia Relations to be Put to the

Test,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, February 14, 2024. All background
briefs are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer). To remove yourself from the
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Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues and
other research support to selected clients. Thayer Consultancy was officially
registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.