III

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 285

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of State should make

improvements in Cambodia’s record on human rights, the environment,

narcotics trafficking and the Royal Government of Cambodia’s conduct

among the primary objectives in our bilateral relations with Cambodia.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 29, 1996

Mr. ROTH (for himself and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) submitted the following

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of

State should make improvements in Cambodia’s record

on human rights, the environment, narcotics trafficking

and the Royal Government of Cambodia’s conduct among

the primary objectives in our bilateral relations with

Cambodia.

Whereas the Paris Peace Accords of 1991 and the successful

national elections of 1993 ended the genocide in Cambodia, brought two decades of civil war nearer to cessation, demonstrated the commitment of the Cambodian

people to democracy and stability, and led to the creation

of a national constitution guaranteeing fundamental

human rights;
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SRES 285 IS

Whereas since 1991 the international community has contributed almost $2 billion to peacekeeping and national reconstruction in Cambodia and currently provides over 40

percent of the budget of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC);

Whereas recent events in Cambodia—including the arrest

and exile of former Foreign Minister Prince Sirivudh, the

expulsion of former Finance Minister Sam Rainsy from

the FUNCINPEC Party and the National Assembly, a

grenade attack against the independent Buddhist Liberal

Democratic Party of Cambodia, mob attacks against proopposition newspapers, the assassination of journalist and

Khmer National Party member Thun Bunly, and harassment of other journalists—suggest that Cambodia is sliding back into a pattern of violence and repression;

Whereas rampant corruption in the RGC has emerged as a

major cause of public dissatisfaction, which—when expressed by opposition politicians and the press—has resulted in government crackdowns;

Whereas Cambodia has been added to the Department of

State’s list of major narcotics trafficking countries;

Whereas the RGC—in contravention to the Cambodian Constitution—has sanctioned massive deforestation and timber exploitation which has devastated the environment,

endangered the livelihoods of many of the country’s farmers, and helped finance both the Royal Cambodian Armed

Forces and the Khmer Rouge in their civil war; and

Whereas the desire to cite Cambodia United Nations peacekeeping success story has stifled official international expressions of concern about deteriorating conditions in

Cambodia: Now, therefore, be it
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SRES 285 IS

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that—

2 (1) among the primary objectives in U.S. policy

3 toward Cambodia should be improvements in Cam4 bodia’s human rights conditions, environmental and

5 narcotics trafficking record, and the RGC’s conduct;

6 (2) the Secretary of State should closely mon7 itor preparations for upcoming Cambodian elections

8 in 1997 and 1998 and should attempt to secure the

9 agreement of the RGC to full and unhindered par10 ticipation of international observers for those elec11 tions to ensure that those elections are held in a free

12 and fair manner complying with international stand13 ards;

14 (3) the Secretary of State should support the

15 continuation of human rights monitoring in Cam16 bodia by the United Nations, including monitoring

17 through the office of the United Nations Center for

18 Human Rights in Phnom Penh and monitoring by

19 the Special Representative of the United Nations

20 Secretary General for Human Rights in Cambodia;

21 and

22 (4) the Secretary of State should encourage

23 Cambodia’s other donors and trading partners to

24 raise concerns with the RGC over Cambodia’s
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SRES 285 IS

1 human rights, environmental, narcotics trafficking,

2 and governmental conduct.

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