[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 175 (Tuesday, October 24, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1008-E1009]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE 32ND ANNIVERSARY OF PARIS PEACE AGREEMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LORI TRAHAN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 24, 2023

  Mrs. TRAHAN. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today in recognition of 
the 32nd Anniversary of the Paris Peace Agreement that ended the 
Cambodian-Vietnamese War. As the Chair of the Congressional Cambodia 
Caucus and the Representative of a district with one of the highest 
populations of Cambodian-Americans, I rise to honor the anniversary of 
the peace agreement and call on the United States to do everything 
possible to help Cambodia realize its full democratic potential.
  This historic agreement ended a horrible war that stretched over 
three decades and caused the deaths of countless soldiers and 
civilians. One of the promises outlined in the accord was for free and 
fair elections. Unfortunately, that aspiration was never realized, and 
the current state of Cambodia's government personifies the challenges 
that remain to achieving a truly democratic nation.
  For thirty-eight years, Cambodia was ruled with an iron grip by Prime 
Minister Hun Sen. The democratic promise of free and fair elections was 
shattered by his weaponization of government power. Over the years, Hun 
Sen took steps to eliminate his opposition, ban independent media 
outlets, and jail peaceful protesters. In depriving the Cambodian 
people of their human rights, Hun Sen moved Cambodia closer to an 
authoritarian state and robbed them of the representative government 
promised in their Constitution and the Paris Peace Agreement.

[[Page E1009]]

  Earlier this year, Cambodia held a sham election that made a mockery 
of the democratic process. The prearranged result saw a landslide 
victory for Hun Sen who in turn announced an immediate transfer of 
power to his son, Hun Manet. Let me be clear, these most recent 
elections violated the Cambodian Constitution, a document that Hun Sen 
helped draft and signed three decades ago, and his unprecedented 
decision to unilaterally transfer power to his son indicates Cambodia 
will be subject to authoritarian rule for another generation.
  As we recognize the 32nd anniversary of the Paris Peace Agreement, 
the Congressional Cambodia Caucus stands firmly against the rising tide 
of authoritarianism in Cambodia. We will not stand idly by while Hun 
Manet picks up where his father left off. Instead, we will continue to 
use every tool at our disposal to push for a free, democratic Cambodia. 
I am a proud co-lead of the Cambodian Democracy and Human Rights Act 
(H.R. 4659), legislation that promotes free and fair elections, 
democracy, political freedoms, and human rights in Cambodia by applying 
sanctions on Cambodian officials who denigrate those rights. I look 
forward to working with my colleagues in the Cambodian Caucus to pass 
this bill and with the Biden Administration to ensure that these 
sanctions are imposed effectively.
  Passing the Cambodian Democracy and Human Rights Act will help ensure 
that the principles of the Paris Peace Agreement are upheld and that 
Cambodians can move closer to achieving the self-determination and 
dignity they deserve.