Gardner proposes bipartisan bill to uphold democracy, human rights in Cambodia

U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) recently sponsored bipartisan legislation to promote free and fair elections, political freedoms and human rights in Cambodia, a Southeast Asian state where China has had growing influence.

“The United States cannot stand idly by as a dictatorship entrenches in Cambodia and corrosive Chinese influence takes hold,” Sen. Gardner said on Jan. 3.

The lawmaker on Dec. 18, 2019 unveiled the Cambodia Democracy Act of 2019, S. 3081, in response to the deteriorating human rights and democracy situation in Cambodia. Sens. Gardner and Markey are chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.

According to Human Rights Watch, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party maintains power through violence, politically motivated prosecutions, repressive laws, and corruption. And the government also has intensified its crackdown on independent media, local human rights defenders, and land rights activists, the organization said.

“The Cambodia Democracy Act will hold those intent on destroying Cambodia’s democratic progress accountable and send a clear message that the United States will always stand in defense of those seeking freedom and justice around the world,” said Sen. Gardner.

If enacted, the bill would apply asset blocking sanctions to senior officials of the government, military or security forces of Cambodia that the U.S. president deems have undermined democracy in Cambodia or committed related human rights violations, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Gardner’s office.

Among other provisions, S. 3081 also would permit the sanctions to be suspended for up to one year and renewed for one-year periods once the U.S. president certifies to Congress that Cambodia is making meaningful progress toward ending government efforts to undermine democracy, related human rights violations, and conducting free and fair elections, according to the summary.

S. 3081 is companion legislation to the same-named H.R. 526, introduced last January by U.S. Reps. Ted Yoho (R-FL), Michael McCaul (R-TX), and Eliot Engel (D-NY). H.R. 526 in July 2019 received approval from the U.S. House of Representatives, which sent the measure to the U.S. Senate for consideration.