To the honourable the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives assembled in parliament:

The petition of certain citizens of Australia draws to the attention of the House:

the sufferings and anguish of the people of Cambodia for the past thirty years due to war and conflict that have been instigated and extended beyond their control;

that the forthcoming elections scheduled for 26 July 1998 is the best hope for the Khmer people in selecting a government that could bring peace and development to the people;

that the scheduled elections must be as free and fair as possible so that the outcome will truly reflect the will of the people, otherwise they will not represent democracy or bring peace to the people;

that the voter registration process for the scheduled July elections has not been free from manipulation by the ruling Party who has stacked the election process in its favour from top to bottom; a significant number of Khmer people who want to vote but have been prevented from registering, whilst a large number of illegal immigrants who tend to support the ruling Party were actively encouraged to register;

that the rule of law which is the foundation for a peaceful co-existence and fairness has not been respected; the stacked election process clearly indicates a deviation from the rule of law.

Your petitioners therefore pray that the House:

1. consult with Government of the day in view to ensuring that only outcomes of free and fair elections be acceptable to Australia;

2. request the Government to use its influence to delay the elections to such time the rule of law is respected;

3. consult with the Government, in any case, to send a large contingent of monitors for the elections;

4. send a parliamentary team acting as observers and monitors of the elections.