Jerry Moran: “Mr. Speaker, the Democratic minority is going to support this resolution as amended. We do wish it was a little bit more…”

“Mr. Speaker, the Democratic minority is going to support this resolution as amended. We do wish it was a little bit more balanced. It is true certainly that the human rights situation in Cambodia has deteriorated over the past year, but the resolution does not adequately recognize the difficulties that Cambodia faces. Cambodia is not a police state. It is far more open and free than many of its neighbors. Unlike many of its neighbors, it has an active opposition press that does not hesitate to criticize the government and, in many ways, in an inflammatory language that we would be shocked at in this country. While it is true that government troops have committed human rights violations, it is also true that the Cambodian Government and military have stepped up their efforts to ensure that these abuses are not repeated. The U.S. Government is in fact funding those efforts. So I would urge my colleagues not to give up on Cambodia, given that country's tragic history over the past quarter century in which we played a significant role. We should not be surprised if it fails to fully live up to our ideals on human rights. Progress is being made.”