[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 345 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 345

Expressing concern about the deterioration of human rights in Cambodia.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 25, 1996

Mr. Bereuter (for himself, Mr. Berman, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. 
Burton, and Mr. Sanford) submitted the following resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing concern about the deterioration of human rights in Cambodia.

Whereas the Paris Peace Accords of 1991 and the successful national elections of 
        1993 ended two decades of civil war and genocide in Cambodia, 
        demonstrated the commitment of the Cambodian people to democracy and 
        stability, and established a national constitution guaranteeing 
        fundamental human rights;
Whereas since 1991 the international community has contributed more than 
        $3,000,000,000 to peacekeeping and national reconstruction in Cambodia 
        and currently provides over 40 percent of the budget of the Cambodian 
        Government;
Whereas recent events in Cambodia, including the arrest and exile of former 
        Foreign Minister Prince Sirivudh, the expulsion of the former Finance 
        Minister Sam Rainsy from the government coalition FUNCINPEC Party and 
        the National Assembly, a grenade attack against the independent Buddhist 
        Liberal Democratic Party of Cambodia, and mob attacks against pro-
        opposition newspapers, suggest that Cambodia is sliding back into a 
        pattern of violence and repression;
Whereas rampant official corruption in the Cambodian Government has emerged as a 
        major cause of public dissatisfaction, which in turn has resulted in the 
        government crackdown against these outspoken opposition politicians and 
        the press;
Whereas heroin traffic in and through Cambodia has become so widespread that 
        Cambodia may soon be added to the Department of State's list of major 
        narcotics trafficking countries;
Whereas the desire to cite Cambodia as a success story for United Nations 
        peacekeeping and international cooperation has stifled the expression of 
        concern about deteriorating human rights conditions in Cambodia; and
Whereas conditions in Cambodia have deteriorated since the House of 
        Representatives passed House Bill 1642 on July 11, 1995, which grants 
        Cambodia unconditional most favored nation trading status: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) urges the Secretary of State to make human rights 
        concerns among the primary objectives in bilateral relations 
        with Cambodia;
            (2) urges the Secretary of State to closely monitor 
        preparations for upcoming Cambodian elections in 1996 and 1998 
        and attempt to secure the agreement of the Cambodian Government 
        to full and unhindered participation of international observers 
        for these elections;
            (3) urges the Secretary of State to support the 
        continuation of human rights monitoring in Cambodia by the 
        United Nations, including monitoring through the office of the 
        United Nations Center for Human Rights in Phnom Penh and 
        monitoring by the Special Representative of the United Nations 
        Secretary General for Human Rights in Cambodia;
            (4) urges the Secretary of State to encourage Cambodia's 
        other donors and trading partners to raise human rights 
        concerns with Cambodia;
            (5) supports efforts by the United States to provide 
        assistance to Cambodia to broaden democratic civil society, to 
        strengthen the rule of law and to ensure that future elections 
        in Cambodia are free and fair; and
            (6) urges that the United States raise human rights 
        concerns at the June 1996 meeting of the Donor's Consultative 
        Meeting for Cambodia and during consideration of projects in 
        Cambodia to be financed by international financial 
        institutions.
                                 <all>