Outgoing US Ambassador William A. Heidt on Tuesday urged Cambodia to improve bilateral relations between the two countries and the release of all political prisoners, including Kem Sokha, the former leader of the opposition. While the US government was swift in its actions against Cambodia’s regime after this year’s flawed elections, the Australian government is yet to follow the US lead. But there is some consolation for the local Cambodian diaspora, with politicians standing up for them in the federal Parliament.
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The European Union’s decision at the beginning of October to impose tariffs on Cambodian exports unless there are clear improvements in labor and human rights has prompted an about-turn by ratings agencies that were previously content to accept the country’s record of economic growth at face value.https://bit.ly/2S2WtAp;
