Congressman Lowenthal, Colleagues, Introduce Bipartisan Bill Imposing Sanctions On Cambodian Officials Attacking Cambodian Democracy
Press Release
Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), co-chair of the Congressional Cambodia Caucus (CCC), has joined with Republican colleague Ted Yoho (FL-03), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, to introduce bipartisan legislation which will enact sanctions on Cambodian officials responsible for undermining democracy in the Asian nation.
The bill is cosponsored by HFAC Chairman Ed Royce (CA-37), HFAC Ranking Member Eliot Engel (NY-16), HFAC Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific Ranking Member Brad Sherman (CA-30), and CCC co-chair Steve Chabot (OH-1).
Entitled the Cambodian Democracy Act of 2018, H.R.5754 would freeze all assets in the United States, restrict all financial transactions with the U.S., and deny entry to the U.S., of senior Cambodian government, military, and security force officials who the U.S. President determines has "directly and substantially undermined democracy in Cambodia."
"My colleagues and I have warned the Hun Sen government over and over that it must abide by the agreements it signed to hold democratic elections," Congressman Lowenthal said. "Yet, the 30-year regime of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has done away with any and all pretense that it will conduct free and fair elections this year. This regime has threatened, attacked, jailed, and then outright banned the nation's major opposition political party. This regime has destroyed the free and independent press in the country, banished NGO's and international organizations, and subverted the national judicial system to do its dirty work. It is time that Hun Sen pays a price for his efforts to destroy the burgeoning democracy that was beginning to flower in Cambodia."
The sanctions and travel restrictions would go into effect within 180 days of the bill being signed into law by the President.
To read the text of the bill, please click here.
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