IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 728 
Supporting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Cambodia. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 12, 2016 
Mr. LOWENTHAL (for himself, Mr. SALMON, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. 
ENGEL, and Ms. TSONGAS) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law 
in Cambodia. 
Whereas since the Paris Peace Accords in 1991, Cambodia 
has undergone a gradual, partial, and unsteady transition 
to democracy, including elections and multiparty govern-
ment; 
Whereas Prime Minister Hun Sen has been in power in Cam-
bodia uninterrupted since 1985 and is the longest-serving 
leader in Southeast Asia; 
Whereas Freedom House rated Cambodia as ‘‘Not Free’’ in 
its ‘‘Freedom in the World 2015’’ report, noting that 
‘‘political opposition is restricted’’, ‘‘harassment or 
threats against opposition supporters are not uncom-
mon’’, ‘‘freedom of speech is not fully protected’’, and 
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•HRES 728 IH 
‘‘the government’s tolerance for freedoms of association 
and assembly has declined in recent years’’; 
Whereas Cambodia held a general election on July 28, 2013, 
though widespread reports of irregularities largely related 
to the voter lists bring into question the integrity of the 
election; 
Whereas a coalition of election monitors, including the Na-
tional Democratic Institute (NDI), Transparency Inter-
national Cambodia, and other domestic and international 
organizations, in a joint report on the 2013 election 
found ‘‘significant challenges that undermined the credi-
bility of the process’’; 
Whereas Transparency International Cambodia, a nonprofit, 
nonpartisan organization, conducted a survey during the 
2013 election that found at 60 percent of polling sta-
tions, citizens with proper identification were not allowed 
to vote; 
Whereas the Cambodian National Election Committee (NEC) 
was accused of lack of independence and pro-government 
bias during its oversight of the 2013 election; 
Whereas the composition of the NEC was changed after the 
2013 election to include equal membership from both po-
litical parties, and the NEC’s continued independence is 
essential to free and fair elections; 
Whereas the United States Congress has taken steps to pro-
tect democracy and human rights in Cambodia, making 
certain 2014 foreign aid funds intended to Cambodia 
conditioned upon the Government of Cambodia con-
ducting an independent and credible investigation into 
the irregularities associated with the July 28, 2013, par-
liamentary elections and reforming the NEC or when all 
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parties have agreed to join the National Assembly to con-
duct business; 
Whereas United States aid to Cambodia has funded work in 
areas including development assistance, civil society, glob-
al health, and the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, largely via 
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); 
Whereas both NDI and the International Republican Insti-
tute (IRI) operate in Cambodia, engaging local partners 
and building capacity for civil society, democracy, and 
good governance; 
Whereas the Government of Cambodia has acted to restrict 
the right to freely assemble and protest, including the fol-
lowing instances; 
Whereas, on January 3, 2014, Cambodian security forces vio-
lently cracked down on protests of garment workers, kill-
ing 4 people in Phnom Penh; 
Whereas, on March 31, 2014, Cambodian police beat 
protestors with batons and clubs during a protest calling 
for a license for the independent Beehive Radio to estab-
lish a television channel; 
Whereas in August 2015, the Government of Cambodia 
passed the ‘‘Law on Associations and Non-Governmental 
Organizations’’ which threatens to restrict the develop-
ment of civil society by requiring registration and govern-
ment approval of both domestic and international NGOs; 
Whereas, on October 26, 2015, 2 opposition lawmakers, in-
cluding dual United States citizen Nhay Chamreoun, 
were violently attacked by pro-government protestors in 
front of the National Assembly; 
Whereas, on November 16, 2015, the standing committee of 
the National Assembly expelled leader of the parliamen-
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tary opposition and President of the Cambodian National 
Rescue Party (CNRP) Sam Rainsy and revoked his par-
liamentary immunity; 
Whereas Mr. Rainsy is the subject of a Government of Cam-
bodia investigation of 7-year-old defamation charges 
against him which is widely believed to be politically mo-
tivated; 
Whereas the United States Embassy in Cambodia has pub-
licly called on the Government of Cambodia to revoke the 
arrest warrant issued against Mr. Rainsy, allow all oppo-
sition lawmakers to ‘‘return to Cambodia without fear of 
arrest and persecution’’, and ‘‘to take immediate steps to 
guarantee a political space free from threats or intimida-
tion in Cambodia’’; and 
Whereas national elections in 2018 will be closely watched to 
ensure openness and fairness, and to monitor whether all 
political parties and civil society are allowed to freely par-
ticipate: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) reaffirms the commitment of the United 
States to promoting democracy, human rights, and 
the rule of law in Cambodia; 
(2) condemns all forms of political violence in 
Cambodia and urges the cessation of ongoing human 
rights violations; 
(3) calls on the Government of Cambodia to re-
spect freedom of the press and the rights of its citi-
zens to freely assemble, protest, and speak out 
against the government; 
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(4) supports electoral reform efforts in Cam-
bodia and free and fair elections in 2018 monitored 
by international observers; and 
(5) urges Prime Minister Hun Sen and the 
Cambodian People’s Party to— 
(A) end all harassment and intimidation of 
Cambodia’s opposition; 
(B) drop all politically motivated charges 
against opposition lawmakers; 
(C) allow them to return to Cambodia and 
freely participate in the political process; and 
(D) foster an environment where democ-
racy can thrive and flourish. 
Æ 
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