12 year old Cambodian born Michael 'Sithlasek' Khay endured the nightmare of his mother's death when the 34 year old actress and her niece were gunned down execution-style on a Tuesday morning in July 1999 by two unidentified assailants while shopping in a central market, in what police and local press say was an attack carried out by hired hit men. Michael's father Prasith Khay, was granted special permission from the Australian Department of Immigration on July 13, 1999 to return to Cambodia. Unfortunately, he arrived the day his ex-wife died. Prasith Khay tried to obtain permission from the Australian government to bring young Michael back to Australia with him but was refused. According to Prasith, the Department told him to return alone and seek application from Australian shores. Prasith had no choice but to call on old friends to hide his son in the jungle until he could secure his safe passage to Australia. He feared his ex-wife's assailants might inflict that same retribution on young Michael.

When Prasith returned to Australia he was faced with more immigration problems since learning that he could not sponsor his son due to the fact that he wasn't an Australian citizen himself. His wife was unable to sponsor Michael because she wasn't a blood relative. Michael's only hope hinged on the birth of the unborn child carried in his step-mother's womb.

Five months later, Michael's brother was born. Prasith and his wife took the birth certificate to the Department of Immigration. But reasons beyond comprehension to anyone involved in this case, the Department did not accept the sponsorship fee [$1500] and instead, placed Michael as a dependent on his Father's spouse visa.

On January 2001, the Department of Immigration [Australia] arranged for Michael to travel to Australia. This small and frightened young boy arrived with only the clothes on his back and an immigration tag that hung carelessly around his neck. He was met at the airport by his step-mother who was to be the bearer of more bad news.

Michael's father, Prasith Khay had become entangled in a dispute that resulted in him being charged with assault. Despite his plea of innocence, Prasith found himself in a Melbourne Correctional Facility.

On September 11, 2001, Prasith Khay's spouse visa was cancelled. His lawyer had failed to notify the Department of Prasith's exact whereabouts. The charge of assault would most likely have resulted in the cancellation of the spouse visa, but either way, it created a huge problem for young Michael as a dependant on the visa. Ultimately, Michael became an illegal immigrant.

Upon her return from a communist gulag, Kay Danes was lunching with her sister Karen Stewart when they happened to meet by chance, Michael's step-mother. At the time, Kay Danes was suffering ill-effects from Post Traumatic Stress and Chronic Depression and was not emotionally charged to champion the young Cambodian family's cause. Her sister, Karen Stewart, was deeply moved however, and for the next two years worked solidly with others in the community to help the Khay family which has resulted in some remarkable milestones.

One of these milestones includes the granting of a bridging visa, albeit renewed frequently, but nonetheless enables Michael to stay legally in Australia until Immigration decide his fate and that of his father.

Prasith Khay was released from the Melbourne Correctional Facility [November 2003] and despite the allegations he continues to quietly proclaim his innocence. He is of no danger to the Australian community but was transferred to a detention centre in Australia where he awaits deportation to Cambodia.

Prasith is concerned that he and his son may face incarceration if they are returned to Cambodia or worse still … due to past political comments he had once expressed as a young man to members of the Cambodian Government. The only desire Prasith holds now is to remain with his family in Australia.

The Khay family, along with others in the community, strongly believe that the only avenue available in order to keep their family together is to appeal for support in the hope that Minister Amanda Vanstone may urgently intervene and stop the proceedings of this deportation. Recently the Department rejected Prasith's application to reinstate his spouse visa. How anyone could believe that his marriage is not real is beyond comprehension.

Your support is desperately needed as the Department is in the process of deporting Prasith Khay and his son to Cambodia. Please write to Minister Vanstone urgently! [Also please send a copy of your letter to Kay Danes so that she can keep track of the support generated for this campaign]