[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 80 (Wednesday, May 11, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2459-S2460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     COMMEMORATING THE 30-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1991 PARIS PEACE 
                        AGREEMENTS WITH CAMBODIA

  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 316, S. Res. 
427.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 427) to commemorate the 30-year 
     anniversary of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements with Cambodia 
     and to call upon all signatories to those Agreements to 
     fulfill their commitments to secure a peaceful, prosperous, 
     democratic, and sovereign Cambodia.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign 
Relations, with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause 
and insert the part printed in italic, as follows:

                              S. Res. 427

       Whereas the agreements signed at the Paris Conference on 
     Cambodia on October 23, 1991 (commonly referred to as the 
     ``Paris Peace Agreements''), led to the end of a brutal 12-
     year civil war in Cambodia and paved the way to national 
     reconciliation through the expulsion of foreign forces and 
     the guarantee of the right to self-determination of the 
     Cambodian people through free and fair elections;
       Whereas the Paris Peace Agreements represented a landmark 
     achievement for the Cambodian people, Cambodia, the 
     international community, and the United States and are the 
     foundation for the peace enjoyed by Cambodia today;
       Whereas the United States was a party to the negotiation 
     and conclusion of the Paris Peace Agreements, which also 
     included leadership and participation of a broad 
     international coalition composed of Australia, Brunei, 
     Canada, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, 
     Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, the former Union of 
     Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, the 
     former Yugoslavia, and Cambodia;
       Whereas the Paris Peace Agreements authorized the creation 
     of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia 
     (UNTAC), which was an unprecedented international effort to 
     help administer Cambodia and guide the country as it emerged 
     from years of civil war;
       Whereas the United Nations Transitional Authority in 
     Cambodia successfully prevented the resurgence of the 
     genocidal Khmer Rouge, created the atmosphere for national 
     reconciliation, was instrumental to the return of hundreds of 
     thousands of Cambodian refugees to their homes, and laid the 
     groundwork for a new Constitution and free and fair elections 
     that featured broad participation;
       Whereas, since the United Nations Security Council 
     established the United Nations Transitional Authority in 
     Cambodia through United Nations Security Council Resolution 
     745 in 1992, the United States and the international 
     community have continued to support the peace, security, and 
     prosperity of Cambodia, as demonstrated through the delivery 
     by the United States of more than $1,500,000,000 in 
     development assistance and more than $3,000,000,000 in total 
     assistance to Cambodia, according to the Department of State;
       Whereas the implementation of the Paris Peace Agreements 
     established institutions critical to peace, development, and 
     freedom in Cambodia, including the beginnings of a vibrant 
     civil society and independent media;
       Whereas the Paris Peace Agreements set forth a democratic 
     process for the election of a constituent assembly that 
     adopted the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia, which 
     obligates the Kingdom to ``respect human rights as stipulated 
     in the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of 
     Human rights, the covenants and conventions related to human 
     rights, women's and children's rights'';
       Whereas the actions of Prime Minister Hun Sen and the 
     ruling Cambodian People's Party since 1993 to consolidate 
     power, which have infringed on the fundamental rights and 
     freedoms of the Cambodian people and culminated in the 
     banning of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in 2017, 
     effectively turning Cambodia into a one-party state, violate 
     the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia and challenge the 
     full implementation of the Paris Peace Agreements;
       Whereas the reported use of Cambodia's Ream Naval Base on 
     the Gulf of Thailand by the People's Republic of China would 
     be inconsistent with Cambodia's status of neutrality under 
     the Paris Peace Agreements, which the Constitution of the 
     Kingdom of Cambodia later defined, in part, as ``not 
     permit(ting) any foreign military base on its territory''; 
     and
       Whereas the politically motivated arrests of more than 150 
     people associated with the Cambodia National Rescue Party 
     since June 2019 and irregular judicial prosecutions of 
     detainees further undermine the intent of the Paris Peace 
     Agreements to allow full political participation in free and 
     fair elections: Now, therefore, be it
       That the Senate--
       (1) remains committed to the Cambodian people and their 
     aspirations for a more peaceful, prosperous, democratic, and 
     sovereign country, as envisioned in the agreements signed at 
     the Paris Conference on Cambodia on October 23, 1991 
     (commonly referred to as the ``Paris Peace Agreements''), 
     with the support of the international community;
       (2) calls upon all signatories of the Paris Peace 
     Agreements, including Cambodian stakeholders, to reaffirm 
     their commitments under the Agreements, the fulfillment of 
     which will advance the peace, prosperity, rights, and 
     freedoms enjoyed by the Cambodian people 30 years after the 
     signing of the Agreements; and
       (3) emphasizes the need for the Government of Cambodia--
       (A) to commit to free and fair multiparty elections in the 
     upcoming communal elections in 2022 and national elections in 
     2023 as an expression of its commitment to the self-
     determination of the Cambodian people;
       (B) to uphold its commitments to protecting human rights, 
     democratic institutions, and free and fair elections;
       (C) to dismiss all politically motivated charges, 
     prosecutions, and sentencings of the opposition, journalists, 
     and civil society activists;
       (D) to refrain from actions that violate its status of 
     neutrality; and
       (E) to use its role as 2022 Chair of the Association of 
     Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen the institution 
     and ASEAN's independence and uphold the values of the ASEAN 
     Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast 
     Asia, done at Denpasar February 24, 1976.

  Ms. CANTWELL. I further ask that the committee-reported substitute to 
the resolution be agreed to.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was 
agreed to.
  Ms. CANTWELL. I know of no further debate on the resolution, as 
amended.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. If there is no further debate, the 
question is on agreeing to the resolution, as amended.
  The resolution (S. Res. 427), as amended, was agreed to.
  Ms. CANTWELL. I ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to 
and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the 
table with no intervening action or debate.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 427

       Whereas the agreements signed at the Paris Conference on 
     Cambodia on October 23, 1991 (commonly referred to as the 
     ``Paris Peace Agreements''), led to the end of a brutal 12-
     year civil war in Cambodia and paved the way to national 
     reconciliation through the expulsion of foreign forces and 
     the guarantee of the right to self-determination of the 
     Cambodian people through free and fair elections;
       Whereas the Paris Peace Agreements represented a landmark 
     achievement for the Cambodian people, Cambodia, the 
     international community, and the United States and are the 
     foundation for the peace enjoyed by Cambodia today;
       Whereas the United States was a party to the negotiation 
     and conclusion of the Paris Peace Agreements, which also 
     included leadership and participation of a broad 
     international coalition composed of Australia, Brunei, 
     Canada, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, 
     Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, the former Union of 
     Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, the 
     former Yugoslavia, and Cambodia;
       Whereas the Paris Peace Agreements authorized the creation 
     of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia 
     (UNTAC), which was an unprecedented international effort to 
     help administer Cambodia and guide the country as it emerged 
     from years of civil war;
       Whereas the United Nations Transitional Authority in 
     Cambodia successfully prevented the resurgence of the 
     genocidal Khmer Rouge, created the atmosphere for national 
     reconciliation, was instrumental to

[[Page S2460]]

     the return of hundreds of thousands of Cambodian refugees to 
     their homes, and laid the groundwork for a new Constitution 
     and free and fair elections that featured broad 
     participation;
       Whereas, since the United Nations Security Council 
     established the United Nations Transitional Authority in 
     Cambodia through United Nations Security Council Resolution 
     745 in 1992, the United States and the international 
     community have continued to support the peace, security, and 
     prosperity of Cambodia, as demonstrated through the delivery 
     by the United States of more than $1,500,000,000 in 
     development assistance and more than $3,000,000,000 in total 
     assistance to Cambodia, according to the Department of State;
       Whereas the implementation of the Paris Peace Agreements 
     established institutions critical to peace, development, and 
     freedom in Cambodia, including the beginnings of a vibrant 
     civil society and independent media;
       Whereas the Paris Peace Agreements set forth a democratic 
     process for the election of a constituent assembly that 
     adopted the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia, which 
     obligates the Kingdom to ``respect human rights as stipulated 
     in the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of 
     Human rights, the covenants and conventions related to human 
     rights, women's and children's rights'';
       Whereas the actions of Prime Minister Hun Sen and the 
     ruling Cambodian People's Party since 1993 to consolidate 
     power, which have infringed on the fundamental rights and 
     freedoms of the Cambodian people and culminated in the 
     banning of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in 2017, 
     effectively turning Cambodia into a one-party state, violate 
     the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia and challenge the 
     full implementation of the Paris Peace Agreements;
       Whereas the reported use of Cambodia's Ream Naval Base on 
     the Gulf of Thailand by the People's Republic of China would 
     be inconsistent with Cambodia's status of neutrality under 
     the Paris Peace Agreements, which the Constitution of the 
     Kingdom of Cambodia later defined, in part, as ``not 
     permit(ting) any foreign military base on its territory''; 
     and
       Whereas the politically motivated arrests of more than 150 
     people associated with the Cambodia National Rescue Party 
     since June 2019 and irregular judicial prosecutions of 
     detainees further undermine the intent of the Paris Peace 
     Agreements to allow full political participation in free and 
     fair elections: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) remains committed to the Cambodian people and their 
     aspirations for a more peaceful, prosperous, democratic, and 
     sovereign country, as envisioned in the agreements signed at 
     the Paris Conference on Cambodia on October 23, 1991 
     (commonly referred to as the ``Paris Peace Agreements''), 
     with the support of the international community;
       (2) calls upon all signatories of the Paris Peace 
     Agreements, including Cambodian stakeholders, to reaffirm 
     their commitments under the Agreements, the fulfillment of 
     which will advance the peace, prosperity, rights, and 
     freedoms enjoyed by the Cambodian people 30 years after the 
     signing of the Agreements; and
       (3) emphasizes the need for the Government of Cambodia--
       (A) to commit to free and fair multiparty elections in the 
     upcoming communal elections in 2022 and national elections in 
     2023 as an expression of its commitment to the self-
     determination of the Cambodian people;
       (B) to uphold its commitments to protecting human rights, 
     democratic institutions, and free and fair elections;
       (C) to dismiss all politically motivated charges, 
     prosecutions, and sentencings of the opposition, journalists, 
     and civil society activists;
       (D) to refrain from actions that violate its status of 
     neutrality; and
       (E) to use its role as 2022 Chair of the Association of 
     Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen the institution 
     and ASEAN's independence and uphold the values of the ASEAN 
     Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast 
     Asia, done at Denpasar February 24, 1976.

                          ____________________