US senators float asset restrictions
TWO United States senators have released a draft congressional resolution proposing the inclusion of senior Cambodian government officials on a US Treasury list that could potentially see their assets frozen and prevent Americans from transacting with them.
The resolution – put forth by Senators John McCain and Dick Durbin on Tuesday, condemns the government’s recent crackdown on political opponents, civil society and media outlets, and suggests the US Treasury Department consider putting certain Cambodians on the Specially Designated Nationals list. The list contains individuals and companies, including terrorists and narcotics traffickers, whose assets are blocked and “U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them”.
“This deliberate undermining of democracy being perpetrated by the Cambodian government must stop,” said Senator Durbin. “The world is watching.”
The resolution follows visa restrictions – unrelated to the recent crackdown – imposed on senior Foreign Ministry officials in September by the US for Cambodia’s reluctance to accept Cambodian-American felons eligible for deportation.
Ruling party spokesman Sok Eysan called the senators’ proposal racist and questioned why such a measure would be required. “They are senators, why do they do like this? They should not take revenge by taking sides with another [party].”
At the same time, CNRP Deputy President Mu Sochua, who left the country on Tuesday under threat of arrest, told Reuters the international community should consider visa restrictions on senior officials, but said economic measures that could hurt the critical garment sector were not warranted.
the National Assembly to minor parties – none of which currently hold seats – with Funcinpec receiving 41 of the party’s 55 seats. The plan was endorsed by ruling party spokesman Sok Eysan.
Strangio predicted that Funcinpec would blindly support the CPP in the event they were given any National Assembly seats, and wouldn’t have the power to act independently even if they wanted to.
“Prince Ranariddh has attempted to attach himself to the CPP in order to gain some semblance of power,” Strangio said, going on to predict that any seats Funcinpec gained would be lost to the CPP in the next election. “Funcinpec has virtually no political constituency left in Cambodia.”
Strangio said it was strange that the parties were filing a lawsuit at all, given that the Political Parties Law amendments already give the Ministry of Interior the power to dissolve parties without a complaint. “They shouldn’t need this intermediate step of an independent third party to file a lawsuit,” he said, adding that the government seemed to be “making it up as they go along”.
Involving third parties allows the government to “maintain a very thin pretence of plausible deniability”, he added.
“If you’re looking at the law in Cambodia, you’re missing the forest for the trees . . . This is very clearly a political act. They’re not even pretending.”