Cambodia's new leader may sound like a reformer in Australia next week, but little has changed back home.

Hun Manet, the new prime minister of Cambodia and son of long-serving authoritarian leader Hun Sen, will be visiting Melbourne for the ASEAN Australia Summit. While he may present himself as a reformer and advocate for economic development and effective governance, the reality is that little has changed in Cambodia. Hun Sen still holds significant power as president of the Cambodian People's Party and effectively controls the country as a one-party state. The government has used defamation laws to silence critics, opposition parties have been dissolved, and independent media outlets have been shut down. Australia should continue to support Cambodia's development, but also advocate for democracy and freedom of expression. [Extracted from the article]