III 

Calendar No. 95 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 126 

Recognizing the vital importance of the Mekong River to Southeast Asia 

and the role of the Mekong-United States Partnership in supporting 

the prosperity of the region. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 28, 2023 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself and Mr. SULLIVAN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

JUNE 13, 2023 

Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 

[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the vital importance of the Mekong River to 

Southeast Asia and the role of the Mekong-United States 

Partnership in supporting the prosperity of the region. 

Whereas the Mekong River supports the livelihoods of approximately 60,000,000 people, making it the most important river in Southeast Asia and one of the most important rivers in the world; 


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•SRES 126 RS 

Whereas the Mekong-United States Partnership, comprising 

the United States, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, 

and Vietnam, and the predecessor of that partnership, 

the Lower Mekong Initiative, have contributed greatly to 

the economic, social, and human resources development 

of the countries in the Mekong River Basin and the protection of the Mekong River; 

Whereas the United States has longstanding diplomatic relations with the countries in the Mekong River Basin, including a nearly 200-year-old relationship with treaty ally 

Thailand; 

Whereas the development of the countries in the Mekong 

River Basin is critical for the unity, economic strength, 

and institutional development of the Association of 

Southeast Asian Nations, a strategic partner of the 

United States; 

Whereas the Mekong River is increasingly imperiled by the 

threats from worsening and extreme changes in the environment, coupled with the construction of upstream dams 

that have altered the natural flow of the river and vital 

ecological processes supported by natural flow; 

Whereas, since 2019, the flow of water in the Mekong River 

during the wet season has been abnormally low; 

Whereas the Nuozhadu and Xiaowan Dams in China account 

for more than 50 percent of the water storage of all dams 

in the Mekong River Basin and can restrict up to 10 percent of the total wet season flow of the Mekong River, 

exacerbating drought conditions downstream; 

Whereas the Mekong River Commission is an integral partner 

in ensuring the long-term health of the Mekong River; 


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•SRES 126 RS 

Whereas the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy can be a leader in supporting river development and protection; 

Whereas the Mekong Dam Monitor, funded partly by the 

Mekong-United States Partnership, has provided essential data and information about the impacts of hydropower dams along the Mekong River to the people and 

governments of the Mekong River Basin to allow them to 

prepare for irregular water flows and mitigate the economic and environmental impacts of those flows; 

Whereas the Mekong River has become a hub for criminal 

elements to traffic in drugs, people, and wildlife, undermining the rule of law in the countries in the Mekong 

River Basin and impacting the world through the proliferation of illegal drugs and fauna that can cause spillover of zoonotic diseases; 

Whereas the international community has committed to support the development of countries along the Mekong 

River through internationally recognized development 

goals; 

Whereas the Friends of the Mekong, which includes the countries in the Mekong River Basin, the United States, Australia, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, the 

Republic of Korea, the Asian Development Bank, the 

Mekong River Commission Secretariat, and the World 

Bank, is committed to supporting the shared principles 

that have underpinned peace and prosperity across the 

Indo-Pacific for decades; 

Whereas close coordination and collaboration with civil society groups throughout the Mekong River Basin is essential to the protection of the Mekong River; 


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•SRES 126 RS 

Whereas, among the countries in the Mekong River Basin, 

there has been a negative trend toward the detention and 

detainment of civil society actors and journalists and an 

increase in violations of human rights; 

Whereas the February 1, 2021, military coup in Burma was 

illegal and unjustified and has resulted in more than 

2,000 deaths, more than 1,000,000 people displaced, and 

tens of thousands of people in detention, and continued 

violence threatens the stability of the entire region, especially those countries along the borders of Burma; and 

Whereas diaspora communities from countries in the Mekong 

River Basin are a vital part of the United States and 

help build thriving people-to-people ties between those 

countries and the United States that lead to strong commercial, civil society, and cultural ties: Now, therefore, be 

it 

Whereas the Mekong River supports the livelihoods of approximately 60,000,000 people, making it the most important 

river in Southeast Asia and one of the most important rivers in the world; 

Whereas the Mekong-United States Partnership, comprising the 

United States, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and 

Vietnam, and the predecessor of that partnership, the 

Lower Mekong Initiative, have contributed greatly to the 

economic, social, and human resources development of the 

countries in the Mekong River Basin and the protection of 

the Mekong River; 

Whereas the United States has longstanding diplomatic relations with the countries in the Mekong River Basin, including a nearly 200-year-old relationship with treaty ally 

Thailand; 


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•SRES 126 RS 

Whereas the development of the countries in the Mekong River 

Basin is critical for the unity, economic strength, and institutional development of the Association of Southeast 

Asian Nations, a strategic partner of the United States; 

Whereas the Mekong River continues to be affected by environmental changes, coupled with the construction of upstream 

dams that have altered the natural flow of the river and 

vital ecological processes supported by natural flow; 

Whereas, since 2019, the flow of water in the Mekong River 

during the wet season has been abnormally low; 

Whereas the Nuozhadu and Xiaowan Dams in China account 

for more than 50 percent of the water storage of all dams 

in the Mekong River Basin and can restrict up to 10 percent of the total wet season flow of the Mekong River, exacerbating drought conditions downstream; 

Whereas the Mekong River Commission is an integral partner 

in ensuring the long-term health of the Mekong River; 

Whereas the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy can be a leader in supporting river development and protection; 

Whereas the Mekong Dam Monitor, funded partly by the 

Mekong-United States Partnership, has provided essential 

data and information about the impacts of hydropower 

dams along the Mekong River to the people and governments of the Mekong River Basin to allow them to prepare 

for irregular water flows and mitigate the economic and 

environmental impacts of those flows; 

Whereas the Mekong River has become a hub for criminal elements to traffic in drugs, people, and wildlife, undermining the rule of law in the countries in the Mekong 

River Basin and impacting the world through the proVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Jun 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR126.RS SR126

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•SRES 126 RS 

liferation of illegal drugs and fauna that can cause spillover of zoonotic diseases; 

Whereas the international community has committed to support the development of countries along the Mekong River 

through internationally recognized development goals; 

Whereas the Friends of the Mekong, which includes the countries in the Mekong River Basin, the United States, Australia, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the Asian Development Bank, the Mekong 

River Commission Secretariat, and the World Bank, is 

committed to supporting the shared principles that have 

underpinned peace and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific 

for decades; 

Whereas close coordination and collaboration with civil society 

groups throughout the Mekong River Basin is essential to 

the protection of the Mekong River; 

Whereas, among the countries in the Mekong River Basin, 

there has been a negative trend toward the detention and 

detainment of civil society actors and journalists and an 

increase in violations of human rights; 

Whereas the February 1, 2021, military coup in Burma was 

illegal and unjustified and has resulted in more than 2,000 

deaths, more than 1,000,000 people displaced, and tens of 

thousands of people in detention, and continued violence 

threatens the stability of the entire region, especially those 

countries along the borders of Burma; and 

Whereas diaspora communities from countries in the Mekong 

River Basin are a vital part of the United States and help 

build thriving people-to-people ties between those countries 

and the United States that lead to strong commercial, civil 

society, and cultural ties: Now, therefore, be it 


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•SRES 126 RS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses sincere concern over the environ3 mental, economic, and humanitarian threats to the 

4 Mekong River and the communities of the Mekong 

5 River and continued support to counter those 

6 threats; and 

7 (2) declares it is the policy of the United States 

8 Government to— 

9 (A) through the Mekong-United States 

10 Partnership and the Friends of the Mekong, 

11 promote the economic and environmental well12 being of the people of Mainland Southeast Asia 

13 in the 5 countries through which the Mekong 

14 River flows, namely, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, 

15 Thailand, and Vietnam; 

16 (B) support a whole-of-government ap17 proach in providing and coordinating Federal 

18 aid and assistance throughout the Mekong 

19 River Basin under the Mekong-United States 

20 Partnership, including programmatic support 

21 provided by the Department of State, the 

22 United States Agency for International Devel23 opment, and other Federal agencies; 

24 (C) contribute to the development of qual25 ity infrastructure, the development of national 


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•SRES 126 RS 

1 electricity markets, cross-border energy trade, 

2 the facilitation of cross-border transport, clean 

3 energy acceleration and deployment, the devel4 opment of micro, small, and medium enter5 prises, agriculture, transportation, the facilita6 tion of trade and investment, strengthened sub7 regional production linkages and supply chains, 

8 digital infrastructure, and the digital economy 

9 in the Mekong River Basin; 

10 (D) promote engagement and buy-in of the 

11 United States private sector to support inclu12 sive economic growth, resilience, global health, 

13 education, and long-term development in the re14 gion; 

15 (E) leverage the expertise of the United 

16 States, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Aus17 tralia, and other partners in high-quality infra18 structure to support the economic development 

19 needs of the countries in the Mekong River 

20 Basin; 

21 (F) support the development of quality in22 frastructure, including through projects fi23 nanced by the United States International De24 velopment Finance Corporation, as appropriate, 

25 in the countries in the Mekong River Basin; 


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•SRES 126 RS 

1 (G) encourage all members of the Associa2 tion of Southeast Asian Nations to view the en3 vironmental, humanitarian, and economic 

4 threats to the Mekong River as a danger to the 

5 entire region; 

6 (H) promote effective water use policies, 

7 natural resources management, and environ8 mental conservation and protection, including— 

9 (i) through support for a technically 

10 sound, well-coordinated, and consensus11 based approach to managing the shared re12 sources of the Mekong River Basin; 

13 (ii) through support for environmental 

14 conservation, protection, and resilience in 

15 the Mekong subregion; and 

16 (iii) by enhancing the capacity of 

17 countries in the Mekong River Basin in the 

18 sustainable conservation and management 

19 of natural resources, including fishery re20 sources, for sustainable food security; 

21 (I) continue the important work that pro22 vides vital data and monitoring to the people 

23 and Governments of the Mekong River; 

24 (J) support the development of the capac25 ity of the region to respond to a variety of 


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•SRES 126 RS 

1 threats, including countering transnational 

2 crime such as trafficking of drugs, wildlife, tim3 ber, and persons, and criminal activity associ4 ated with illegal, unreported and unregulated 

5 fishing, and to improve health security, includ6 ing emergency preparedness and response for 

7 pandemics and epidemics, cybersecurity, and 

8 disaster response and preparedness and human9 itarian assistance and disaster relief; 

10 (K) promote the development of human 

11 capital through education, medical and public 

12 health partnerships, vocational training, youth 

13 empowerment, women’s economic empower14 ment, gender equality, university cooperation, 

15 and educational and professional exchanges; 

16 (L) work together with countries in the 

17 Mekong River Basin to combat pollution, over 

18 fishing, natural resource degradation, and the 

19 effects that changes in the global climate sys20 tems are having on the Mekong River, and the 

21 communities that depend on the river, and to 

22 support the abilities of such communities to 

23 adapt and build resilience capacities of those 

24 countries; 


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•SRES 126 RS 

1 (M) encourage all countries in the Mekong 

2 River Basin to provide timely early warning for 

3 natural and unnatural operations of the river; 

4 (N) support freedom of expression in the 

5 countries in the Mekong River Basin through 

6 promoting independent journalism and the free7 dom to access information; 

8 (O) continue to call for the cessation of vi9 olence in Burma and support the return of 

10 Burma to a path of inclusive democracy, so that 

11 it can fully contribute to regional development; 

12 (P) prioritize the strengthening of people13 to-people ties through United States exchange 

14 programs such as the Fulbright Program, the 

15 Peace Corps, the International Visitors Leader16 ship Program, and the Young Southeast Asian 

17 Leaders Initiative Program, including the 

18 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative 

19 Academy at Fulbright University Vietnam; and 

20 (Q) recognize that strong democratic insti21 tutions, the promotion and protection of funda22 mental freedoms, independent civil society, and 

23 free and fair elections are central to imple24 menting the shared vision of a Mekong River 


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•SRES 126 RS 

1 region, and an Indo-Pacific region, that is free, 

2 open, secure, and prosperous. 

3

4

5 That the Senate— 

6 (1) expresses sincere concern over the environ7 mental, economic, and humanitarian threats to the 

8 Mekong River and the communities of the Mekong 

9 River and continued support to counter those threats; 

10 and 

11 (2) declares it is the policy of the United States 

12 Government— 

13 (A) to, through the Mekong-United States 

14 Partnership and the Friends of the Mekong, pro15 mote the economic and environmental well-being 

16 of the people of Mainland Southeast Asia in the 

17 5 countries through which the Mekong River 

18 flows, namely, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thai19 land, and Vietnam; 

20 (B) to support providing and coordinating 

21 Federal aid and assistance throughout the 

22 Mekong River Basin under the Mekong-United 

23 States Partnership, including programmatic 

24 support provided by the Department of State, the 


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•SRES 126 RS 

1 United States Agency for International Develop2 ment, and other Federal agencies; 

3 (C) to contribute to the development of qual4 ity infrastructure, national electricity markets, 

5 cross-border energy trade, cross-border transport, 

6 greater energy access, the development of micro, 

7 small, and medium enterprises, agriculture, 

8 transportation, the facilitation of trade and in9 vestment, strengthened subregional production 

10 linkages and supply chains, digital infrastruc11 ture, and the digital economy in the Mekong 

12 River Basin; 

13 (D) to promote engagement and buy-in of 

14 the United States private sector to support inclu15 sive economic growth, resilience, global health, 

16 education, and long-term development in the re17 gion; 

18 (E) to leverage the expertise of the United 

19 States, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, 

20 and other partners in high-quality infrastructure 

21 to support the economic development needs of the 

22 countries in the Mekong River Basin; 

23 (F) to support the development of quality 

24 infrastructure, including through projects fi25 nanced by the United States International DevelVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Jun 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\SR126.RS SR126

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•SRES 126 RS 

1 opment Finance Corporation, as appropriate, in 

2 the countries in the Mekong River Basin; 

3 (G) to encourage all members of the Associa4 tion of Southeast Asian Nations to view the envi5 ronmental, humanitarian, and economic threats 

6 to the Mekong River as a danger to the entire re7 gion; 

8 (H) to promote effective water use policies, 

9 natural resources management, and environ10 mental conservation and protection, including— 

11 (i) through support for a technically 

12 sound, well-coordinated, and consensus13 based approach to managing the shared re14 sources of the Mekong River Basin; 

15 (ii) through support for environmental 

16 conservation, protection, and resilience in 

17 the Mekong subregion; and 

18 (iii) by enhancing the capacity of 

19 countries in the Mekong River Basin on 

20 conservation and management of natural 

21 resources, including fishery resources, for 

22 long-term food security; 

23 (I) to continue the important work that 

24 provides vital data and monitoring to the people 

25 and Governments of the Mekong River; 


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•SRES 126 RS 

1 (J) to support the development of the capac2 ity of the region to respond to a variety of 

3 threats, including countering transnational 

4 crime such as trafficking of drugs, wildlife, tim5 ber, and persons, and criminal activity associ6 ated with illegal, unreported and unregulated 

7 fishing, and to improve health security, includ8 ing emergency preparedness and response for 

9 pandemics and epidemics, cybersecurity, and 

10 disaster response and preparedness and humani11 tarian assistance and disaster relief; 

12 (K) to promote the development of human 

13 capital through education, medical and public 

14 health partnerships, vocational training, youth 

15 empowerment, women’s economic empowerment, 

16 gender equality, university cooperation, and edu17 cational and professional exchanges; 

18 (L) to work together with countries in the 

19 Mekong River Basin to combat pollution, over 

20 fishing, natural resource degradation, and the ef21 fects that environmental changes are having on 

22 the Mekong River, and the communities that de23 pend on the river, and to support the abilities of 

24 such communities to adapt and build resilience 

25 capacities of those countries; 


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•SRES 126 RS 

1 (M) to encourage all countries in the 

2 Mekong River Basin to provide timely early 

3 warning for natural and unnatural operations of 

4 the river; 

5 (N) to support freedom of expression in the 

6 countries in the Mekong River Basin through 

7 promoting independent journalism and the free8 dom to access information; 

9 (O) to continue to call for the cessation of 

10 violence in Burma and support the return of 

11 Burma to a path of inclusive democracy, so that 

12 it can fully contribute to regional development; 

13 (P) to prioritize the strengthening of people14 to-people ties through United States exchange 

15 programs such as the Fulbright Program, the 

16 Peace Corps, the International Visitors Leader17 ship Program, and the Young Southeast Asian 

18 Leaders Initiative Program, including the Young 

19 Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Academy at 

20 Fulbright University Vietnam; and 

21 (Q) to recognize that strong democratic in22 stitutions, the promotion and protection of fun23 damental freedoms, independent civil society, 

24 and free and fair elections are central to imple25 menting the shared vision of a Mekong River reVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Jun 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\SR126.RS SR126

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•SRES 126 RS 

1 gion, and an Indo-Pacific region, that is free, 

2 open, secure, and prosperous. 


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Calendar No. 95 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 126 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the vital importance of the Mekong 

the prosperity of the region. Mekong-United States Partnership in supporting River to Southeast Asia and the role of the 

JUNE 13, 2023 

Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 


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