I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5754 
To promote free and fair elections, political freedoms, and human rights 
in Cambodia, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 10, 2018 
Mr. YOHO (for himself, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. ROYCE of California, Mr. 
ENGEL, Mr. SHERMAN, and Mr. CHABOT) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition 
to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To promote free and fair elections, political freedoms, and 
human rights in Cambodia, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cambodia Democracy 
Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Cambodia’s present political system was es-
tablished in 1991, after decades of internal conflict, 
by the United Nations-brokered Paris Peace Ac-
cords. The first national elections under this system 
were administered by the United Nations in 1993. 
Hun Sen, the current Prime Minister of Cambodia, 
has been in power in Cambodia since before this 
time, serving as premier from 1985 to 1993, and as 
Prime Minister thereafter. Hun Sen has used his po-
sition to cling to the pinnacle of power in Cambodia 
for 32 years, through tactics including coup d’e´tat, 
irregular election procedures, and the silencing of 
opposition voices. 
(2) In Cambodia’s most recent general elections 
in 2013, Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party 
(CPP) maintained its parliamentary majority by the 
smallest margin to date, while a unified opposition 
Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) made 
substantial gains. The Department of State’s Coun-
try Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016 
described Cambodia’s 2013 elections as ‘‘largely free 
of intimidation, in contrast to previous national elec-
tions’’, yet also ‘‘fraught with irregularities’’. Subse-
quent local elections marked similar setbacks for the 
ruling CPP. 
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(3) Cambodia’s next general elections will occur 
in June 2018. According to the 2017 Freedom in 
the World Report issued by Freedom House, in the 
intervening period Hun Sen has overseen ‘‘a decisive 
crackdown on the country’s beleaguered opposition 
and press corps as his [CPP] prepared for national 
elections’’. Regional experts have reached a general 
consensus that Hun Sen and the CPP have under-
taken this crackdown to consolidate power ahead of 
an election that may have ended their grip on power. 
(4) Hun Sen’s actions in late 2017 pushed 
Cambodia further away from democracy. In late Au-
gust 2017, the regime shut down the National 
Democratic Institute and expelled its entire foreign 
staff from the country within a week. Less than a 
week later, radio stations carrying Radio Free Asia 
and Voice of America were also shut down by the re-
gime. On September 3, 2017, authorities arrested 
Kem Sokha, the leader of the CNRP, and charged 
him with treason, allegedly for participating in an 
American plot to undermine Hun Sen’s regime. Kem 
Sokha remains in detention. On November 16, 2017, 
Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP, 
eliminating the most popular and viable challenger 
to Hun Sen’s regime. Subsequent actions by Hun 
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Sen have aimed to ‘‘cement total control over Cam-
bodian government and business’’, according to 
Human Rights Watch. 
(5) Since the dissolution of the CNRP, both the 
Department of State and the White House have 
issued statements condemning the Hun Sen regime’s 
actions to undermine democracy and calling for Kem 
Sokha’s release. On November 16, 2017, the White 
House announced that the United States would ter-
minate support for Cambodia’s National Election 
Committee. On December 6, 2017, the Department 
of State began implementing visa restrictions for of-
ficials responsible for undermining Cambodian de-
mocracy. On February 27, 2018, the White House 
announced further assistance reductions following 
Cambodian Senate elections on February 25 which 
did not represent the genuine will of the Cambodian 
people. 
SEC. 3. SANCTIONS RELATING TO UNDERMINING DEMOC-
RACY IN CAMBODIA. 
(a) DESIGNATION OF PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR 
UNDERMINING DEMOCRACY
IN CAMBODIA.—Not later 
than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the President shall apply the sanctions described in sub-
section (b) on— 
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(1) each senior official of the Government, mili-
tary, or security forces of Cambodia that the Presi-
dent determines has directly and substantially un-
dermined democracy in Cambodia; and 
(2) each senior official of the Government, mili-
tary, or security forces of Cambodia that the Presi-
dent determines has committed or directed serious 
human rights violations associated with undermining 
democracy in Cambodia. 
(b) SANCTIONS DESCRIBED.— 
(1) ASSET BLOCKING.—The President shall ex-
ercise all of the powers granted to the President 
under the International Emergency Economic Pow-
ers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent nec-
essary to block and prohibit all transactions in prop-
erty and interests in property of a person designated 
under subsection (a) if such property and interests 
in property are in the United States, come within 
the United States, or are or come within the posses-
sion or control of a United States person. 
(2) VISA RESTRICTIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, 
in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland 
Security, shall continue to implement the policy 
announced by the Department of State on De-
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cember 6, 2017, to restrict entry into the 
United States of person involved in under-
mining democracy in Cambodia, including any 
person designated under subsection (a). 
(B) EXCEPTION FOR MULTILATERAL AC-
TIVITIES.—Persons otherwise restricted from 
entry into the United States under this section 
may be admitted if such admission is necessary 
to comply with United States obligations under 
the Agreement between the United Nations and 
the United States of America regarding the 
Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at 
Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into 
force November 21, 1947, or under the Conven-
tion on Consular Relations, done at Vienna 
April 24, 1963, and entered into force March 
19, 1967, or other applicable international obli-
gations of the United States. 
(3) PENALTIES.—The penalties provided for in 
subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the Inter-
national Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to a person that violates, 
attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a 
violation of paragraph (1) to the same extent that 
such penalties apply to a person that commits an 
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unlawful act described in subsection (a) of such sec-
tion 206. 
(e) LIST OF DESIGNATED PERSONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
President shall transmit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees a list of persons designated under 
subsection (a). 
(2) UPDATES.—The President shall transmit to 
the appropriate congressional committees updated 
lists under paragraph (1) as new information be-
comes available. 
(f) IMPLEMENTATION.—The President may exercise 
all authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the 
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out this section. 
(g) WAIVER.—The President may waive the applica-
tion of sanctions described in subsection (b) with respect 
to a person described in subsection (a) if the President 
determines and certifies to the appropriate congressional 
committees that such waiver is in the national interest of 
the United States. 
SEC. 4. SUSPENSION AND TERMINATION OF SANCTIONS. 
(a) SUSPENSION.—The sanctions described in section 
3 may be suspended for up to one year upon certification 
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