On the recordSeptember 12, 2016
I also rise in support of this resolution. Let me, first of all, thank Mr. Lowenthal, a valued member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for his hard work on this measure; and let me just thank the chairman of the committee, as well, for always cooperating with us on bipartisan resolutions and things that are for the good of the country. That is the way we try to conduct ourselves here. Mr. Speaker, for the last three decades, the people of Cambodia have hoped to see their country move toward a freer, more democratic system, but that progress has been halting and the results are incomplete. Hun Sen, that country's Prime Minister, has held on to power since 1985, making him currently the longest serving leader in Southeast Asia. Though elections are scheduled for 2018, it seems likely that the opposition party will endure the same sort of intimidation and harassment that it has for years. This lack of progress and accountability on the part of the Hun Sen government has meant that Cambodia remains one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the region. Cambodia leans on China for imports and economic assistance and has adopted some of China's most draconian laws and practices as well. Despite these obstacles, the people of Cambodia remain remarkably resilient and entrepreneurial.…





