III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 416 

Calling for the peaceful return to Cambodia of opposition party members 

and democracy activists. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 7, 2019 

Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. CRUZ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Calling for the peaceful return to Cambodia of opposition 

party members and democracy activists. 

Whereas the people of the United States seek to strengthen 

relations with the People of the Kingdom of Cambodia, 

and ensure that they enjoy free and fair democratic elections, the rule of law, and the fundamental freedoms of 

expression, association, and assembly; 

Whereas the government of Cambodia has taken a series of 

steps to undermine democratic institutions, human 

rights, and freedom of expression; 

Whereas, on several occasions since 2017, the Prime Minister 

of Cambodia, Hun Sen, has urged opposition lawmakers 

to defect and join the ruling Cambodian People’s Party 


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•SRES 416 IS 

(CPP), and security forces coerced many such defections 

under threat and duress; 

Whereas Cambodian authorities arrested the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) opposition leader Kem 

Sokha on September 3, 2017, for allegedly committing 

treason, and continue to restrict his movements and communications to conditions amounting to house arrest over 

two years later; 

Whereas, having outlawed the CNRP on November 16, 2017, 

having banned 118 of its members from politics, and having passed amendments to its Law on Political Parties 

that were intended to stifle independent political parties, 

the CPP won all 125 National Assembly seats in the July 

29, 2018, national election; 

Whereas the Department of State noted in its 2018 Human 

Rights Report on Cambodia instances of arbitrary deprivation of life and other unlawful or politically motivated 

killings, arbitrary arrest or detention, denial of fair public 

trial, and other violations; 

Whereas Freedom House assessed Cambodia to be ‘‘not free’’ 

in its Freedom in the World 2019 report; 

Whereas the crackdown by the government of Cambodia on 

the political opposition and other independent voices has 

caused many CNRP leaders to flee abroad; 

Whereas, according to Human Rights Watch, on March 12, 

2019, a court criminally charged and issued arrest warrants for eight leading members of the CNRP who had 

left Cambodia ahead of the July 2018 election: Sam 

Rainsy, Mu Sochua, Ou Chanrith, Eng Chhai Eang, Men 

Sothavarin, Long Ry, Tob Van Chan, and Ho Vann; 


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•SRES 416 IS 

Whereas the government of Cambodia has arrested many opposition party members and democracy activists who remained in Cambodia, including bringing charges against 

more than 70 former CNRP members and detaining at 

least 35 of them since CNRP members announced in August 2019 that they might return to the country; 

Whereas a Cambodian court ordered a new investigation into 

two Radio Free Asia journalists charged with espionage 

even after two years of inquiry found insufficient evidence 

of wrongdoing and after numerous human rights experts 

and a bipartisan group of United States Senators in a 

March 15, 2018, letter to Hun Sen argued that the 

charges were meritless; 

Whereas former CNRP leader, Sam Rainsy, and other members of the CNRP and supporters of democracy intend to 

return to Cambodia on November 9, 2019; 

Whereas Prime Minister Hun Sen threatened students that 

they would have one of their ‘‘remaining fingers cut off’’ 

if they joined the cause of the returning democracy activists and ordered the military to attack any CNRP gatherings on November 9, 2019; 

Whereas according to Amnesty International, two youth activists have been arbitrarily detained since July for attempting to peacefully commemorate the murder of a 

popular government critic; 

Whereas, on November 16, 2017, the United States Senate 

unanimously passed Senate Resolution 279 (115th Congress), a bipartisan resolution reaffirming the commitment of the United States to promote democracy, human 

rights, and the rule of law in Cambodia; and 


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•SRES 416 IS 

Whereas the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public 

Law 115–409) prohibits the authorization of appropriations to the government of Cambodia until the Secretary 

of State certifies that Cambodia is taking effective steps 

in several areas, including the restoration of the civil and 

political rights of the CNRP, media, and civil society organizations: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) urges the government of Cambodia to im3 mediately and unconditionally— 

4 (A) release all political prisoners; 

5 (B) drop all politically motivated charges 

6 against the CNRP and civil society activists; 

7 and 

8 (C) restore full political rights to the 

9 CNRP; 

10 (2) deplores— 

11 (A) the deterioration of democracy and 

12 fundamental human rights in Cambodia; 

13 (B) the continued imprisonment and judi14 cial harassment of journalists, prisoners of con15 science, and other political prisoners by the gov16 ernment of Cambodia; 

17 (C) the breakdown of the rule of law and 

18 the lack of due process in Cambodia; and 


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•SRES 416 IS 

1 (D) the potential for mass arrests and vio2 lence if and when CNRP members currently 

3 overseas return to Cambodia; 

4 (3) holds Prime Minister Hun Sen directly re5 sponsible for the safety, health, and welfare of exiled 

6 CNRP leaders and their supporters upon their re7 turn to Cambodia; 

8 (4) calls on other governments throughout the 

9 Indo-Pacific to— 

10 (A) urge the government of Cambodia to 

11 allow the peaceful return of exiled CNRP lead12 ers and their supporters; and 

13 (B) refrain from unjustly restricting the 

14 rights of CNRP members to travel to and 

15 through their countries as they return; and 

16 (5) recognizes, in the absence of systemic demo17 cratic reforms, the need for additional United States 

18 Government measures, including through legislation 

19 and executive action. 

Æ 


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