{ "id": "R43113", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R43113", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 422726, "date": "2013-07-24", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T23:20:07.897423", "title": "U.S.-Cambodia Relations: Issues for the 113th Congress", "summary": "The United States and the Kingdom of Cambodia have been expanding their once-limited ties for a number of years, although U.S. concerns about Cambodia\u2019s human rights record still limit the scope of the bilateral relationship. The Obama Administration has taken steps to broaden engagement with Cambodia, partly in response to China\u2019s growing diplomatic and economic influence in Cambodia and the Lower Mekong Delta region. U.S. interests in Cambodia include promoting development, trade and investment, regional security, civil society, democracy, and human rights. U.S. military engagement with Cambodia has increased as well. These include naval port visits, military assistance, and joint exercises related to international peacekeeping, humanitarian activities, and maritime security. A key challenge for U.S. policy toward Cambodia lies in balancing efforts to engage the Kingdom on many fronts while promoting democracy and human rights. \nDuring the past decade, the Kingdom has made fitful progress in some areas of U.S. concern, including the conduct of elections, the development of civil society, labor rights, bringing some Khmer Rouge leaders to justice, public health, and counterterrorism measures. However, during the past several years, the political system has become less democratic and civil liberties have been curtailed. Although political opposition groups may gain parliamentary seats in the July 28, 2013 national elections by forming a united front and tapping into voter discontent among urban and marginalized groups, Prime Minister Hun Sen\u2019s continued hold on power seems assured. \nOver the past decade and a half, Hun Sen has bolstered his political strength through a combination of electoral victories, influence over the broadcast media and judiciary, legal and extra-legal political maneuvers, intimidation of opponents and critics, patronage, and economic threats. Many observers believe that the fairness of the national elections were seriously undermined prior to election day. Among the major concerns were the prevention of opposition leader Sam Rainsy from participating in politics or running in the elections, the expulsion of opposition lawmakers from the National Assembly, inaccurate voter lists, and the alleged lack of neutrality of the National Election Commission. \nThe United States provides significant foreign aid to Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in Asia, largely through non-governmental organizations. The Kingdom received $76 million in U.S. assistance in FY2012. Program areas include public health, agricultural development, environmental preservation, military training, maritime security, elections, civil society, and removal of explosive remnants of war. The United States is the largest foreign market for Cambodian goods, buying about half of the Kingdom\u2019s garment exports.\nChina has been a principal source of loans, infrastructure development, investment, and foreign aid to the Kingdom. Some experts maintain that Chinese assistance has significantly reduced the effectiveness of traditional aid donors in attempting to pressure Phnom Penh to make advances in the areas of rule of law, democracy, and human rights. Some groups have expressed concerns about the adverse effects of China\u2019s development projects on the local environment. Other observers also contend that Beijing has influenced Cambodian foreign policy. During its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2012, Cambodia was seen as acceding to Beijing\u2019s desire to block attempts to raise the issue of maritime security in regional fora, to the consternation of the United States and other ASEAN nations.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43113", "sha1": "5f78af768d143eb9111921092762c7b7a829e348", "filename": "files/20130724_R43113_5f78af768d143eb9111921092762c7b7a829e348.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43113", "sha1": "5ac3fb7768eafa4a1c69718aa0e7649f5b5e812e", "filename": "files/20130724_R43113_5ac3fb7768eafa4a1c69718aa0e7649f5b5e812e.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc227872/", "id": "R43113_2013Jun19", "date": "2013-07-19", "retrieved": "2013-11-05T18:07:05", "title": "U.S.-Cambodia Relations: Issues for the 113th Congress", "summary": "Report that starts out by describing the relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Cambodia. This includes U.S. concerns about Cambodia's human rights record and how that affects the bilateral relationship.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20130719_R43113_67f7877dd09d39a436c6b86ac809341c5b338751.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20130719_R43113_67f7877dd09d39a436c6b86ac809341c5b338751.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Cambodia -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Cambodia -- U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Cambodia", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Cambodia" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Human rights", "name": "Human rights" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Foreign Affairs", "National Defense" ] }