Updated May 23, 2023
Cambodia
Overview
won 80% of commune council seats. The Candlelight Party,
The Department of State refers to the Kingdom of
a revived opposition party that has attracted former CNRP
Cambodia, located in mainland Southeast Asia, as
members, won 18%.
“strategically significant.” Bilateral relations have become
strained during the past decade, particularly as Cambodia’s
Cambodian courts have convicted opposition leader and
relationship with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has
former CNRP President Sam Rainsy, who lives in self-
grown closer and after Prime Minister Hun Sen banned the
imposed exile in France, of numerous crimes that many
main opposition party in 2017. The U.S. government has
observers view as politically motivated. In October 2022, a
sought to remain engaged with Cambodia while calling on
Cambodian court sentenced Sam Rainsy in absentia to life
Hun Sen to restore political rights and resist PRC influence.
in prison, on top of previous sentences. In April 2023,
The United States has imposed restrictions on some foreign
former CNRP Vice-President Kem Sokha was convicted of
assistance in response to human rights concerns and it
treason and sentenced to 27 years of house arrest. The
continues to provide support to Cambodian civil society.
Department of State issued a statement asserting, “Kem
Some observers contend that Cambodian civil society,
Sokha’s conviction is part of a larger pattern of threats,
independent journalists, and urban youth are particularly
harassment, and other unacceptable actions by Cambodian
receptive to continued U.S. engagement.
authorities to target political opposition leaders, media, and
civil society.” Since 2021, Cambodian courts have
In 2017, the Cambodian government suspended Angkor
convicted over 115 opposition politicians and activists of
Sentinel, an annual joint exercise between U.S. Army
crimes against the state. In April 2023, a Cambodian court
Pacific and the Royal Cambodian Army first held in 2010.
charged the Candlelight Party’s Vice President, Thach
In 2018, the U.S. government suspended military assistance
Setha, with “incitement to provoke chaos,” which likely
to Cambodia in response to its government’s suppression of
will prevent him from running in the 2023 national election.
the political opposition.
Figure 1. Cambodia at a Glance
Politics and Human Rights
Hun Sen has been the nation’s head of government for 38
years, including as premier of the Vietnam-backed Republic
of Kampuchea between 1985 and 1993. Since 1993, he has
headed the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and served as
prime minister of Cambodia, including as “co-premier”
between 1993 and 1997. In 2021, the CPP reportedly
endorsed the eldest son of Hun Sen, West Point graduate
Hun Manet, as his successor. Hun Manet reportedly aims to
run for a parliamentary seat in the next national election,
scheduled for July 2023. A win, which is considered highly
probable, would make him eligible for the premiership. The

king of Cambodia and head of state, a largely symbolic
Source: CRS (map) and Central Intelligence Agency, The World
figure, is Norodom Sihamoni, who succeeded his father in
Factbook, 2023.
2004.
Since the lead up to the 2018 national election, Hun Sen has
Between 1993, when the United Nations administered
clamped down on civil society and circumscribed the space
Cambodia’s first national election following the 1991 Paris
for independent media. In 2017, the Cambodian Foreign
Agreements that ended the country’s civil war, and 2017,
Ministry applied a restrictive new law on non-governmental
democratic institutions and practices had gradually evolved
organizations (NGOs) to expel the U.S. government-funded
to allow widespread civic and political participation. During
National Democratic Institute, which was engaged in
this period, Cambodia developed a vibrant civil society and
democracy promotion programs in Cambodia, on the
a relatively free print media. The opposition Cambodian
grounds that it was not registered with the government.
National Rescue Party (CNRP) made significant gains in
Roughly 25 human rights NGOs still operate in Cambodia,
the 2013 parliamentary election and 2017 local elections. In
according to the Department of State, although they face
November 2017, the Supreme Court of Cambodia,
increasing repression. In 2017, the government closed more
allegedly at the behest of the government, issued a ruling
than one dozen radio stations that sold airtime to U.S.
that dissolved the CNRP for “conspiring with the United
government-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Asia.
States to overthrow the government.” The CPP
subsequently won all 125 seats in the 2018 National
Human rights groups report that the Cambodian
Assembly election. In the 2022 local elections, the CPP
government restricts freedom of expression and the press in
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Cambodia
various ways, including through defamation lawsuits,
buildings in Sihanoukville following the halt of
criminal prosecutions, tax penalties, disapproval of permits
construction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
and licenses, and harassment of journalists. In February
2023, the government revoked the media license of Voice
Ream Naval Base
of Democracy, a local radio and online media outlet, for
Since 2018, U.S. concerns have grown regarding PRC
“disseminating false information.” Some observers surmise
construction activities at Ream Naval Base. Some experts
that the action may be related to the outlet’s investigative
argue that China may aim to use Cambodia to project power
reporting on human rights issues.
further from the PRC mainland and to use Ream as a station
to service its naval vessels. Cambodian officials have
Economy and PRC Influence
emphasized that hosting a foreign military facility would be
Since the early 1990s, Cambodia has made progress on
unconstitutional, although the government may provide
some socioeconomic indicators, although it remains one of
access to multiple countries. PRC officials reportedly have
the poorest countries in Asia, and poverty and malnutrition
confirmed that “a portion of the base” would be used by the
in rural areas persist. The economy—which was largely
Chinese military, although they denied that Cambodia has
destroyed under the leadership of the Communist Party of
given China exclusive rights to Ream.
Kampuchea, also known as the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979),
and subsequent conflicts—achieved an average annual
Foreign Assistance and Sanctions
growth rate of 8% between 1998 and 2019, largely driven
Cambodia is heavily dependent upon foreign aid. Official
by foreign investment and the agricultural, garment,
Development Assistance (ODA) for Cambodia from
construction, real estate, and tourism sectors. Following a
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
downturn in 2020-2021 due to the Coronavirus Disease
member countries (not including China) and international
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the economy has rebounded
financial institutions totaled $1.02 billion in 2021. The
somewhat, and the Asian Development Bank forecasts it
United States provided $100.5 million in assistance to
will achieve a growth rate of over 5.0% in 2023.
Cambodia in FY2022, mostly channeled through NGOs.
Major program areas include maternal and child health,
The United States is Cambodia’s second-largest trading
combating infectious diseases, basic education, human
partner after China, and its largest export market,
rights and democracy, reducing human trafficking,
purchasing 44% Cambodia’s exports in 2022, according to
inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and natural
the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Cambodian exports
resource management. From 1993 to 2022, the U.S.
to the United States totaled $12.2 billion in 2022, while
government provided $192 million for unexploded
imports from the United States totaled $449 million. The
ordnance removal and related programs. Cambodia is
largest Cambodian export items to the United States are
among the countries most heavily contaminated by
apparel and leather goods, and the largest U.S. import items
unexploded ordnance left from U.S. bombing during the
are vehicles. Hun Sen reportedly welcomes greater U.S.
Vietnam War, the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in
investment. In 2022, the U.S.-Association of Southeast
1978, and civil wars during the 1970s and 1980s. Peace
Asian Nations Business Council organized a delegation of
Corps volunteers teach English and train English teachers in
U.S. companies to meet with Cambodian officials to discuss
Cambodian villages.
expanding U.S.-Cambodian trade and investment ties. The
garment sector—which is largely run by companies from
Since FY2017, State, Foreign Operations, and Related
China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan—forms a pillar of
Programs appropriations legislation have placed conditions
Cambodia’s economy, employing roughly one million
on some U.S. assistance to Cambodia due to human rights
workers, predominantly women. The EIU reported that
and other concerns. The Consolidated Appropriations Act,
garments and footwear accounted for 54.8% of Cambodian
FY2023 (P.L. 117-328, Section 7043(b)) prohibits
goods exports in 2022.
assistance to the government of Cambodia unless the
Secretary of State certifies that Cambodia is taking effective
China is Cambodia’s largest source of imports, including
steps to assert its sovereignty against interference by the
fabric for the kingdom’s garment industry, as well as its
PRC, including by verifiably maintaining the neutrality of
largest foreign investor and a major source of financing,
Ream Naval Base; cease violence, threats, and harassment
holding 42.7% of the kingdom’s foreign debt in 2021,
against civil society and the political opposition; and
according to the EIU. PRC-backed infrastructure and
respect the rights, freedoms, and responsibilities enshrined
hydropower projects and business ventures have brought
in the 1993 Constitution of Cambodia, among other
some developmental benefits while also creating
provisions. In December 2021, the Commerce and State
environmental problems, contributing to corruption, and
Departments imposed export restrictions on U.S. national
causing disruptions and dislocation among some local
security-controlled items and a ban on arms sales to
communities. PRC investment has been particularly
Cambodia due to human rights concerns. Since 2018, the
concentrated in the city of Sihanoukville and elsewhere
U.S. government has sanctioned five Cambodian officials
along the Gulf of Thailand, with development projects
and family members for corruption and human rights
including the construction of tourist and gambling resorts,
abuses pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which
industrial zones, an international airport at Dara Sakor, and
implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights
a deep-water seaport in Kampot province. U.S. analysts
Accountability Act (Title XII, Subtitle F of P.L. 114-328).
express concern that the airport and seaport could be used
For further information, see CRS Report R44037,
for military as well as civilian purposes. PRC investors
Cambodia: Background and U.S. Relations.
reportedly have left over 1,000 unfinished and abandoned
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Cambodia

IF10238
Thomas Lum, Specialist in Asian Affairs


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10238 · VERSION 7 · UPDATED

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