Calendar No. 629

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 285

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the SecCambodia. mary objectives in our bilateral relations with ernment of Cambodia’s conduct among the pri- ment, narcotics trafficking and the Royal Gov- Cambodia’s record on human rights, the environ- retary of State should make improvements in

SEPTEMBER 25, 1996

Reported with an amendment, an amendment to the

preamble, and an amendment to the title
III

Calendar No. 629

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, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, and Mr. THOMAS), submitted the

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

SEPTEMBER 25, 1996

Reported by Mr. HELMS, with an amendment, an amendment to the preamble,

and an amendment to the title

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

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 Cam-
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bodia, 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;

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 farm-
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ers, 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

Whereas the Paris Peace Accords of 1991 and the successful national elections of 1993 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;

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 members of the independent Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party of Cambodia, mob attacks against pro-opposition 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 the RGC has failed to investigate fully incidents

of political violence and prosecute the perpetrators;
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Whereas, the RGC, without appropriate prior consultation

with the Cambodian Parliament and despite protestations from Cambodians residing both inside the country and overseas, has obtained from King Sihanouk an

amnesty for Ieng Sary, the former deputy Prime Minister of the Khmer Rouge and brother-in-law of Khmer

Rouge leader Pol Pot during the period when the

Khmer Rouge murdered as many as two million innocent Cambodians;

Whereas that amnesty may allow Ieng Sary to fully reintegrate into Cambodian society and from a political

party that may participate in upcoming elections;

Whereas, Ieng Sary has disavowed any responsibility for

the genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge against

the Cambodian people;

Whereas, the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act states that

it is the policy of the United States to support efforts

to bring to justice members of the Khmer Rouge for

their crimes against humanity, and in circumstances

which the President deems appropriate, to encourage

the establishment of a national or international criminal tribunal for the prosecution of those accused of

genocide in Cambodia and to provide such national or

international tribunal with relevant information;

Whereas, rampant corruption in the RGC has emerged as

a major cause of public dissatisfaction, which—when

expressed by 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,

though Cambodia has been certified by the President
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as cooperating fully with the United States or taking

adequate steps on its own to achieve full compliance

with the goals and objectives established by the United

Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic

Drugs and Psychotropic Substances;

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

Whereas, illegal logging has helped finance both the Royal

Cambodian Armed Forces and the Khmer Rouge in

their civil war: Now, therefore, be it

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 Cam-
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1 bodia by the United Nations, including monitoring

2 through the office of the United Nations Center for

3 Human Rights in Phnom Penh and monitoring by

4 the Special Representative of the United Nations

5 Secretary General for Human Rights in Cambodia;

6 and

7 (4) the Secretary of State should encourage

8 Cambodia’s other donors and trading partners to

9 raise concerns with the RGC over Cambodia’s

10 human rights, environmental, narcotics trafficking,

11 and governmental conduct.

12 That it is the sense of the Senate that:

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

14 toward Cambodia should be enforcement of the Cam15 bodian Genocide Justice Act, improvements in Cam16 bodia’s human rights conditions, environmental and

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

18 (2) in compliance with the Cambodian Genocide

19 Justice Act, the United States should support efforts

20 to bring to justice members of the Khmer Rouge for

21 their crimes against humanity, and that the Presi22 dent deem it appropriate to encourage the establish23 ment of a national or international criminal tribunal

24 for the prosecution of Ieng Sary and to provide that

25 tribunal with any information available on Ieng
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1 Sary’s alleged involvement in the Cambodian geno2 cide;

3 (3) the Secretary of State should closely monitor

4 preparations for upcoming Cambodian elections in

5 1997 and 1998 to ensure that those elections are held

6 in a free and fair manner in compliance with inter7 national standards, and toward that end should at8 tempt to secure the agreement of the RGC to full and

9 unhindered participation of international observers

10 for those elections;

11 (4) the Secretary of State should support the

12 continuation of human rights monitoring in Cam13 bodia by the United Nations, including monitoring

14 through the office of the United Nations Center for

15 Human Rights in Phnom Penh and monitoring by

16 the Special Representative of the United Nations Sec17 retary General for Human Rights in Cambodia; and

18 (5) the Secretary of State should encourage Cam19 bodia’s other donors and trading partners to raise

20 concerns with the RGC over Cambodia’s record on

21 human rights, the environment, narcotics trafficking

22 and governmental conduct.

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that enforcement of the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act, improvements in Cambodia’s record on human rights, the environment, narcot-
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ics trafficking and the Royal Government of Cambodia’s

conduct should be among the primary objectives of the

United States in its relations with Cambodia.’’.