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1 1 (January 8, 2016)

handle is hein.crs/govccwq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF. ' ,iE ,E .$r, i , mppm qq\ p\w -- , gn'a', go I as 11LIANJILiN, Updated January 8, 2016 Cambodia The United States and the Kingdom of Cambodia have been strengthening bilateral ties for the past decade. U.S. concerns remain, however, about human rights violations and the authoritarian tendencies of Prime Minister Hun Sen. U.S. interests and efforts in Cambodia include strengthening democratic institutions, civil society, and the rule of law; promoting economic growth; reducing poverty; and increasing bilateral trade and investment. U.S. military cooperation with Cambodia has increased as well. Military activities during the past decade include U.S. naval port visits; U.S. education and training of Cambodian officers; and joint exercises, such as Angkor Sentinel, related to international peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and counterterrorism. Area- 70D,000 Sq, n,,:eS k2bou th e a, e o 4so Captal Phnomn Penh Popufation: 5. rni on Governmrent p efr br~e~ ne Head of State: King, NonxromSinnn Next Gener. Election 20 !8 GOP Composition by Sector; igricuk!urc (,33%)-, id U str, ,2 5%), set-r es (4 2% GDP per capita3,0 (u a~ powerprty (2 0 4 ) Life Expectancy: $3 ye2,-s Literacy: 77%. Religon- 11ieravala Bud9s % of popwn:ator) Source: Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, 2016. Many Cambodian political, social, and economic institutions that were destroyed under the rule of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, also known as the Khmer Rouge (1975-79), have been reestablished. The Kingdom has made fitful progress in some areas of governance and human rights, including the conduct of elections and the development of civil society. Economic growth of over 7% annually in recent years has brought prosperity to some Cambodians, particularly in urban areas, and many rural residents also have experienced improvements in their quality of life. However, political and judicial institutions remain weak and economic disparities have widened. Human rights groups assert that over half a million Cambodians have been displaced as government, business, and toreign entities, sometimes in collusion, have confiscated their land and homes, sometimes forcibly or without proper compensation, to make way for agricultural, mining, logging, tourism, and urban development projects. Experts say that Hun Sen, Deputy President of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), has bolstered his power through a combination of guile and force, electoral victories, legal and extra-legal political maneuvers, influence over the broadcast media and judiciary, intimidation, patronage and cronyism. In July 2015, the Cambodian Parliament passed a law on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that critics say gives the government greater authority to restrict their activities. Hun Sen has been the nation's leader for 30 years, including as Premier of the Vietnam-backed Republic of Kampuchea between 1985 and 1993 and as Prime Minister after the United Nations sponsored the restoration of a constitutional monarchy in 1993. During the past decade, Hun Sen has suppressed an often-fragmented opposition and consolidated his own position. The most recent national elections, in 2013, were viewed by many observers as flawed, but resulted in a striking reversal of fortunes for the CPP and a boost for the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), led by Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha. The CPP lost 22 seats in the National Assembly, holding onto 68 out of a total of 123 seats, its lowest level of support since 1998. The main opposition groups, unified as the CNRP, won 55 seats, a gain of 26. The poll results reflected a changing electorate that is younger and more urban, more concerned about corruption and inequality, and more demanding of government. Furthermore, Cambodian voters as a whole may be becoming less impressed by Hun Sen's claims that the CPP has brought stability and prosperity to the country following the period of genocidal rule, foreign invasion, and civil war during the 1970s and 1980s. In July 2014, following a year of political unrest, including mass demonstrations and the CNRP's boycott of parliament, the CCP and the opposition agreed to a power sharing agreement. However, despite promises by both sides to adopt a culture of dialogue, political rhetoric became increasingly strident. Beginning in the summer of 2015, Hun Sen and the CPP struck back at the opposition with physical assaults, arrests, and lawsuits which many observers perceived as politically motivated. In October 2015, two CNRP parliamentarians reportedly were pulled from their cars and brutally beaten in what some observers surmised to be an organized attack. Opposition Senator Hong Sok Hour was jailed for committing forgery and incitement related to politically-sensitive Cambodia- Vietnam border issues. Over a dozen CNRP activists have been arrested or convicted on charges related to their involvement in public protests in 2014. Three men involved .O 'T

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