Cambodia: Background and U.S. Relations

[Airbornelawyer]

Cambodia: Background and U.S. Relations
Congressional Research Service report to Congress

19 pages

Available here: http://opencrs.com/document/RL32986/

Summary:

Major U.S. goals in Cambodia include promoting good governance, democracy, and human rights, reducing the threat of terrorism, facilitating trade, and bringing Khmer Rouge leaders to justice. In February 2007, the United States government lifted a ten-year ban on aid to the government of Cambodia, signaling the beginning of fuller engagement with the kingdom. Following Prime Minister Hun Sen's unlawful seizure of power in 1997, the United States prohibited many forms of assistance to the Central Government of Cambodia. The U.S. government has also withheld assistance for the Khmer Rouge tribunal, set up to try leaders of the Communist Party of Kampuchea for crimes against humanity, unless standards of judicial independence and fairness are met. The United States and Cambodia maintain strong ties through aid and trade. Despite foreign aid restrictions, Cambodia is the third largest recipient of United States assistance in Southeast Asia after Indonesia and the Philippines. Most U.S. assistance has been channeled through the many non-governmental organizations that are active in the country. The United States is the largest overseas market for Cambodian goods, mostly textiles and apparel. With the termination of quotas on textiles by WTO member states in 2005, Cambodian exports are threatened by competition from China. Cambodia and other least developed countries (LDCs) are pressing the United States to grant their garment exports preferential treatment. Cambodia has made some notable progress, with outside help, in controlling the spread of infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and avian flu, holding elections that are at least procedurally democratic, nurturing a civil society, engaging in counterterrorism efforts, and developing its economy. A number of significant problems remain, however. Weak legal and financial institutions, corruption, political uncertainty, and the autocratic tendencies of Prime Minister Hun Sen have discouraged foreign investment and strained U.S.-Cambodian relations. This report provides historical context, discusses political and economic developments in Cambodia, and raises policy issues regarding U.S.-Cambodian relations. These issues include U.S. foreign assistance to Cambodia, HIV/AIDS, human rights, terrorism, bilateral trade, the Khmer Rouge tribunal, and Cambodia's relations with China. This report will be updated periodically.

[clapdoc]

All of the problems listed in this article are a direct result of the untimely U.S. pullout of Southeast Asia in 1975. Can you imagine what our country would be like today if the Khmer Rouge took all of our educated people, put them in work camps and then killed these people by the thousands?
I am constantly surprised when I hear of any progress in Cambodia, and this progress must be a testament to the people who survived the killing fields.
I wish the Democrats and the other peace freaks would take notice of what happened in Cambodia and apply it to the present day Middle East.
The slaughter in Cambodia, Laos and South Viet Nam will seem like a day in the park compared to the carnage the islamist fanaticals will administer if we pull out of Iraq and the Middle East.



clapdoc sends,

[mark46th]

Have to agree clap doc. Whenever I hear one of those old anti war idiots talk about opposing the Vietnam war, I ask them how they sleep at night, knowing that they allowed Pol Pot to murder half the Cambodian population. They look at me dumbfounded that I would even question them. I try to do it in front of as many people as possible for maximum embarrassment...

And how many died at the hands of the Pathet Lao, Lord only knows. Out of over 600 pilots shot down over Laos, we only got a couple back...

mark46th,

I agree with you and clapdoc. Here is another fact about the war in Cambodia and even Laos to an extent. The North Vietnamese during "Operation Homecoming" stated well before hand that any pilots shot down in the two countries were the problems of the Pathet Lao and the Khmer Rouge. The North had nothing to do with Laotian POW's and Cambodian POW's, right, and I am the Founding Father of all Special Ops!

It is interesting to note though that we still have an active group of service men and women working under the auspices of the JRTF. They are still finding remains of pilots, SF, and SOG in Laos and Cambodia.

Just my $.02 worth

[mark46th]

My A-team went thru an aircraft ID program in Thailand in 1973 as a part of JCRC. We never went on a mission due to the screw up on the first mission that cost Cpt Rees his life. As soon as I heard we were to go on missions unarmed, I knew bad things were going to happen...