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Cambodia Resources As part of the May 28th, 2008 Roundtable with Ambassador Sereywath Ek, the Homeland Security Policy Institute prepared a resource page where you will find some useful links to recent reports, relevant government agencies and other useful information. Reports "Country Reports on Terrorism: Chapter 2 - Country Reports: East Asia and Pacific Overview," State Department, Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism ( April 30, 2008) This report on terrorist activity in 2007 produced annually notes that Cambodia’s political leadership demonstrated a strong commitment to take aggressive legal action against terrorists. However, Cambodia’s ability to investigate potential terrorist activities was limited by a lack of training and resources. The government passed a counterterrorism law and a law to combat terrorist financing, and comprehensive domestic legislation has been promulgated and implemented. The report also notes that to date, the Cambodian government has fully cooperated with United States counterterrorism efforts on many levels, despite its limited resources. "Cambodia: Background and U.S. Relations," Congressional Research Service (July 18, 2007) Major U.S. goals in Cambodia include promoting good governance, democracy, and human rights, reducing the threat of terrorism, facilitating trade, and bringing Khmer Rouge leaders to justice. In February 2007, the United States government lifted a ten-year ban on aid to the government of Cambodia, signaling the beginning of fuller engagement with the kingdom. Following Prime Minister Hun Sen’s unlawful seizure of power in 1997, the United States prohibited many forms of assistance to the Central Government of Cambodia. The U.S. government has also withheld assistance for the Khmer Rouge tribunal, set up to try leaders of the Communist Party of Kampuchea for crimes against humanity, unless standards of judicial independence and fairness are met. Despite foreign aid restrictions, Cambodia is the third largest recipient of United States assistance in Southeast Asia after Indonesia and the Philippines. "The United States and Cambodia: Bilateral Relations and Bilateral Debt," Scot Marciel, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs ( February 14, 2008) In testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment, Deputy Assistant Secretary Scot Marciel notes that the bilateral relationship between the United States and Cambodia has been steadily improving, especially over the course of the past two years. The testimony also covers 2007 U.S. financial assistance to Cambodia which totaled $62 million that focused on HIV/AIDS and maternal health, demining and professionalizing the military, strengthening good governance and human rights, and promoting economic development. Finally, Marciel discusses Cambodia’s financial debt to the United States. "Cambodia, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices," State Department (2007) This annual State Department report notes that the Cambodian government’s human rights record remained poor in 2007. Although there were no reports that the government or its agents committed politically motivated killings, security forces committed extrajudicial killings and acted with impunity. There was little political will to address the failure by government authorities to adhere to the rule of law. Detainees were abused, often to extract confessions, and prison conditions were harsh. Human rights monitors reported arbitrary arrests and prolonged pretrial detention, underscoring a weak judiciary and denial of the right to a fair trial. The government restricted freedom of speech and the press through the use of defamation and disinformation suits, controlled or influenced the content of television and radio broadcasts, and at times interfered with freedom of assembly. On the positive side, the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts in Cambodia for the Prosecution of Crimes Committed during the Period of Democratic Kampuchea adopted its internal rules on June 12 to begin prosecuting senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime and those most responsible for committing serious crimes. "Congressional Restrictions on U.S. Military Operations in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Somalia, and Kosovo: Funding and Non-Funding Approaches," Congressional Research Service (January 16, 2007) The main body of this report is a series of tables and an appendix that summarize and cite bill language that was intended to end or restrict U.S. military operations in Indochina between 1970 and 1973, in Somalia in 1993, and in Kosovo in 1999. In response to the invasion of Cambodia from April to June 1970, Congress considered and ultimately enacted the Cooper-Church amendment in January 1971 which prohibited using any appropriated funds to introduce ground troops into Cambodia. Legislation enacted in 1973 — after the cease-fire agreement — that cut off funds for combat “in or over or from off the shores of North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia” was designed to prevent President Nixon from reintroducing troops or bombing if the North Vietnamese violated the cease-fire. "On Trafficking in Persons, Cambodia," Asia Foundation (May 2006) This report looks back at a decade of trafficking-related research in Cambodia. It systematically reviews what the available information can—and cannot—tell us about the patterns, extent and consequences of trafficking in Cambodia (and in relation to its neighboring countries). This systematic review found that while there are undoubtedly many studies and papers focusing on trafficking and related issues, there is no real accumulation in knowledge about the patterns, practices and complexity of the phenomenon. "Cambodia: Security Assistance," State Department, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (June 29, 2007) This State Department overview of American security assistance to Cambodia offers a background on U.S.-Cambodia relations, a discussion of the type and amount of assistance offered by Washington to Phnom Penh, and a brief discussion of commercial defense trade between the two countries. "Landmine Monitor Report 2007: Toward a Mine-Free World Cambodia," International Campaign to Ban Landmines This annual report discusses Cambodia’s progress on eradicating the country of land mines under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction that entered into force in 1999. The report assesses Cambodia’s likelihood of meeting a 2010 deadline of clearance of mined areas—Article 5 of the treaty—as “low.” The report also offers a land mine casualty analysis and key governmental developments since May 2006. "A UN Joint Programme for Addressing Avian Influenza and Pandemic Planning in Cambodia," (16 December 2005, revised October 2006) The Royal Government of Cambodia and the United Nations Team in Cambodia agree to work together to mobilize resources and implement this UN Joint Programme under Government leadership. The Framework is both a description of what is already happening, as well as a statement of important issues which need further attention at this stage. It seeks to summarise current best estimates of remaining funding requirements. The UN supports a substantially increased flow of international resources to assist Cambodia to respond to this challenge. "Cambodia Disaster Preparedness & Response Plan 2007," United Nations Disaster Management Team This plan represents the UN’s current available resources and capacity committed to responding to natural disasters (primarily floods and drought) in Cambodia in support of the Cambodian government. Cambodia is considered one of the most hazard-prone countries in South-East Asia. With a large proportion of the Cambodian farmers dependent on alluvial or rain-fed agriculture as their main source of income, natural disasters can have devastating consequences for the livelihoods of already vulnerable communities.
News and Resource Links: AFP: Trial of Cambodian coup-plotter underway in California (April 1, 2008) BBC Country Profile: Cambodia CIA World Factbook: Cambodia Library of Congress: Cambodia State Department: Cambodia Cambodian Government His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni Premier Hun Sen, the Prime Minister Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation
For further inquries including invitation information, please email hspi1@gwumc.edu with the subject Ambassadors Roundtable Series Inquiries. |
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