Cambodia: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief

Summary

The United States and the Kingdom of Cambodia have been strengthening bilateral ties for several years. U.S. concerns about governmental abuses of power and human rights violations, however, have constrained the development of relations. Areas of congressional concern have included providing development assistance, promoting democracy and human rights, and supporting victims of Khmer Rouge atrocities. U.S. interests in Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in Asia, include strengthening democratic institutions and norms, encouraging civic participation in politics, promoting the rule of law, increasing bilateral trade and investment, supporting economic growth, reducing poverty, and improving public health. U.S. military engagement includes naval port visits, military assistance, education and training, and joint exercises related to international peacekeeping, humanitarian and disaster response, and counterterrorism. The United States also has provided assistance to Cambodia, one of the countries in the world most heavily afflicted by unexploded ordnance (UXO), for de-mining programs and victims of UXO. The Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI), launched by the Obama Administration in 2009, is a foreign assistance effort through which the United States aims to promote cooperation and capacity building among Lower Mekong River countries (Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam) in several sectors. The LMI has become an element of the U.S. strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region.

During the past decade, Cambodia has made fitful progress in some areas of governance and human rights, including the conduct of elections, the development of civil society, and improvements in labor conditions. Economic growth has brought prosperity to some Cambodians, particularly in urban areas, and many rural residents also have experienced improvements in their lives. Political institutions, however, remain weak and economic disparities have widened. Labor relations have shown growing signs of strain in recent years. The State Department reported that although the 2013 parliamentary elections were “mostly peaceful” and the election campaigns were “largely free of intimidation,” the voting process was “fraught with irregularities.” According to some experts, Prime Minister Hun Sen has flouted democratic institutions and norms but also made some political compromises in the face of domestic and international pressure.

Cambodia has entered a period of nominal political power sharing after several years of one party rule by the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). The national elections of 2013 resulted in a striking reversal of fortunes for the CPP and a boost for the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP). The election results reflected a changing electorate, one that is younger and with rising expectations and more concerned about corruption and inequality. Many analysts remain doubtful about whether Hun Sen will respect checks on his power as part of an agreement reached with the opposition in July 2014.

During the Khmer Rouge’s three-year rule over Cambodia (1975-1978), nearly 2 million out of a population of 8 million Cambodians died from execution, torture, overwork, starvation, and disease. The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), a court with international and Cambodian judges and prosecutors, began proceedings in 2006 to try Khmer Rouge leaders responsible for grave violations of national and international law, including crimes against humanity. The court has delivered guilty verdicts to three former high ranking officials. Cambodian and international human rights groups have advocated expanding the scope of prosecutions to include mid-ranking Khmer Rouge officials, while Prime Minister Hun Sen has opposed expanding the number of indictments.