Updated August 4, 2022
Cambodia
Overview
After banning the CNRP, the government charged Kem
U.S. relations with the Kingdom of Cambodia have become
Sokha with collaborating with the United States to foment a
strained over the past decade, particularly as Cambodia’s
popular overthrow of the CPP. Sam Rainsy, facing
relationship with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has
numerous charges and convictions that many observers
grown closer and after Prime Minister Hun Sen banned the
view as politically motivated, lives in self-imposed exile in
main opposition party in 2017. The U.S. government has
France. Since 2021, Cambodian courts have convicted
sought to remain engaged in Cambodia while calling on
nearly 90 former CNRP politicians and opposition activists
Hun Sen to restore political rights and resist PRC influence.
of crimes against the state. Facing a significantly hindered
The U.S. government has provided support to Cambodian
opposition, the CPP won 80% of commune council seats in
civil society and has imposed restrictions on foreign
the June 2022 local elections. The Candlelight Party, a
assistance and sanctions on some Cambodian officials.
recently revived opposition party that has attracted former
CNRP members, won 18%. The Office of the United
In 2017, the Cambodian government suspended Angkor
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported
Sentinel, an annual exercise between U.S. Army Pacific and
pre-election threats, intimidation, and obstruction. The next
the Royal Cambodian Army that was first held in 2010,
parliamentary election is scheduled for July 2023.
saying that security forces were needed for other purposes.
In 2018, the U.S. government suspended military assistance
Figure 1. Cambodia at a Glance
to Cambodia in response to the government’s suppression
of the political opposition. The two sides continue to
cooperate on activities aimed at accounting for U.S.
Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from the Vietnam
War era. Two bills introduced in the 117th Congress, S.
3052 and H.R. 4686, would impose sanctions on senior
Cambodian officials the President has determined have
directly and substantially undermined democracy or
engaged in serious human rights abuses.
Politics and Human Rights
Hun Sen has been the nation’s head of government for 37

years, including as premier of the Vietnam-backed Republic
Source: Map: CRS; other information: Central Intelligence Agency,
of Kampuchea between 1985 and 1993. Since 1993, he has
The World Factbook, 2022.
headed the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and served as
prime minister of Cambodia, including as “co-premier”
Hun Sen also has clamped down on civil society and the
between 1993 and 1997. In 2021, the CPP reportedly
media in recent years. In 2017, the Cambodian Foreign
endorsed the eldest son of Hun Sen, West Point graduate
Ministry applied a restrictive new law on non-governmental
Hun Manet, as his successor. The king of Cambodia and
organizations (NGOs) to expel the U.S. government-funded
head of state, a largely symbolic figure, is Norodom
National Democratic Institute, which was engaged in
Sihamoni, who succeeded his father, Norodom Sihanouk, in
democracy promotion programs in Cambodia, on the
2004.
grounds that it was not registered with the government.
Roughly 25 human rights NGOs still operate in Cambodia,
Between 1993, when the United Nations administered
according to the Department of State, although they face
Cambodia’s first national elections following the 1991 Paris
increasing repression.
Agreements, and 2017, democratic institutions and
practices had gradually evolved to allow widespread civic
Human rights groups report that the Cambodian
and political participation. During this period, Cambodia
government restricts freedom of expression and the press in
developed a vibrant civil society and a relatively free print
various ways, including through defamation lawsuits,
media. The Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP)—a
criminal prosecutions, tax penalties, approval of permits
union of two opposition parties led by Sam Rainsy, a long-
and licenses, and occasional violent attacks on journalists
time opposition leader, and politician and human rights
by unidentified perpetrators. In 2017, the government
activist Kem Sokha—made significant gains in the 2013
closed more than one dozen radio stations that sold airtime
parliamentary election and 2017 local elections. In
to U.S. government-funded Voice of America and Radio
November 2017, the Supreme Court of Cambodia,
Free Asia, which, facing political and economic pressure
allegedly at the behest of the government, issued a ruling
from the Cambodian government, closed its Phnom Penh
that dissolved the CNRP for “conspiring with the United
office. Authorities also ordered the English-language
States to overthrow the government.”
Cambodia Daily, considered an opposition newspaper, to
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Cambodia
shut down in 2017, ostensibly for failing to pay taxes. The
The United States provided $94 million in assistance to
paper’s publishers asserted that the tax claims were
Cambodia in FY2021, mostly channeled through NGOs.
politically motivated. According to some observers, the
Major program areas include preventing child and maternal
2018 sale of the Phnom Penh Post, another major English
deaths and combating infectious diseases, advancing human
language daily, to a Malaysian businessman with ties to
rights and democracy, promoting inclusive and sustainable
Hun Sen represented a final blow for established
economic growth, improving natural resource management,
independent journalism in the kingdom.
and combating human trafficking. From 1993 to 2021, the
U.S. government contributed $180.4 million for unexploded
Economy
ordnance removal and disposal and related programs.
Since the early 1990s, Cambodia has made progress on
Cambodia is among the countries most heavily
some socioeconomic indicators, although poverty and
contaminated by unexploded ordnance left from U.S.
malnutrition in rural areas persist. The economy—which
bombing during the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese invasion
was largely destroyed during the leadership of the
of Cambodia in 1978, and civil wars during the 1970s and
Communist Party of Kampuchea, also known as the Khmer
1980s.
Rouge (1975-1979), and subsequent conflicts—achieved an
average annual growth rate of 8% between 1998 and 2019,
Since FY2017, State, Foreign Operations, and Related
largely driven by foreign investment and the development
Programs appropriations legislation have placed conditions
of the agricultural, garment, construction, real estate, and
on some U.S. assistance to Cambodia due to human rights
tourism sectors. More recently, however, the COVID-19
and other concerns. The Consolidated Appropriations Act,
pandemic has weakened major sectors of the economy.
2022 (P.L. 117-103, Section 7043(b)) prohibits assistance
to the government of Cambodia unless the Secretary of
The United States is Cambodia’s largest export market and
State certifies that Cambodia is taking effective steps to
second-largest trading partner after China. Cambodian
assert its sovereignty against interference by the PRC,
exports to the United States totaled $7.4 billion in 2021,
including by verifiably maintaining the neutrality of Ream
while imports from the United States totaled $332 million.
Naval Base (see Ream Naval Base, below); cease violence,
The largest Cambodian export items to the United States
threats, and harassment against civil society and the
that year were apparel and leather goods, and the largest
political opposition; and respect the rights, freedoms, and
U.S. import items were vehicles. By comparison,
responsibilities enshrined in the 1993 Constitution of
Cambodia’s imports from China, which include fabric for
Cambodia, among other provisions. In December 2021, the
the country’s garment industry, have far exceeded its
Commerce and State Departments imposed export
exports to China. Cambodia’s garment industry—which is
restrictions on U.S. national security-controlled items and a
largely run by companies from China, Hong Kong, and
ban on arms to Cambodia due to human rights concerns.
Taiwan—forms a pillar of the nation’s economy, employing
Since 2018, the U.S. government has sanctioned five
roughly 900,000 workers. Garments and footwear
Cambodian officials for corruption and human rights abuses
accounted for 41.2% of Cambodian goods exports in 2021,
pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which implements the
according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (Title
XII, Subtitle F of P.L. 114-328).
China is Cambodia’s largest foreign investor, with $2.32
billion in investment in 2021, according to PRC sources.
Ream Naval Base
China is also a major provider of financing and holds
In 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported on a secret
44.3% of the nation’s foreign debt, according to EIU. PRC-
agreement between China and Cambodia allowing the PRC
backed infrastructure and hydropower projects and business
exclusive military access to Ream Naval Base on the Gulf
ventures have brought some developmental benefits while
of Thailand. As reported by the Washington Post and other
also creating environmental problems, contributing to
sources, China has begun upgrades at the port, and a PRC
corruption, and causing disruptions and dislocation among
official confirmed that “a portion of the base” would be
some local communities. PRC companies are constructing a
used by the Chinese military, although he and Cambodian
$3.8 billion deep-water port, industrial zone, and tourist
officials denied that it was for exclusive use by China’s
facilities near the town of Sihanoukville. Other PRC
People’s Liberation Army. Cambodian officials have
construction activities include an international airport at
emphasized that a foreign military base would violate the
Dara Sakor that some analysts believe could be used for
kingdom’s constitution. Secretary of State Antony Blinken,
military as well as civilian purposes.
in a meeting with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak
Sokhonn, “further reiterated U.S. concerns about how
Foreign Assistance and Sanctions
[China’s] construction of military facilities at Ream Naval
Foreign assistance accounts for over 20% of the
Base could negatively affect regional security.”
government’s budget. Official Development Assistance
(ODA) for Cambodia from Organization for Economic
For further information, see CRS Report R44037,
Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries
Cambodia: Background and U.S. Relations.
and international financial institutions totaled $1.37 billion
in 2020, which does not include assistance from China.
Thomas Lum, Specialist in Asian Affairs
China is not a member of the OECD, and PRC assistance
often does not meet OECD standards for ODA due to its
IF10238
large non-concessional loan component, commercial
aspects, and economic benefits accruing to China.
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Cambodia


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10238 · VERSION 6 · UPDATED

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