,,iii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #daf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,november #g1 #bjai,mr4 ,markey 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 and ,mr4 ,cruz7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,calling for the peaceful return to ,cambodia of opposition party members and democracy activists4 ,whereas the people of the ,united ,states seek to strengthen relations with the ,people of the ,kingdom of ,cambodia1 and ensure that they enjoy free and fair democratic elections1 the rule of law1 and the fundamental freedoms of expression1 association1 and assembly2 ,whereas the government of ,cambodia has taken a series of steps to undermine democratic institutions1 human rights1 and freedom of expression2 ,whereas1 on several occasions since #bjag1 the ,prime ,minister of ,cambodia1 ,hun ,sen1 has urged opposition lawmakers to defect and join the ruling ,cambodian ,people's ,party 7,,cpp71 and security forces coerced many such defections under threat and duress2 ,whereas ,cambodian authorities arrested the ,cambodia ,national ,rescue ,party 7,,cnrp7 opposition leader ,kem ,sokha on ,september #c1 #bjag1 for allegedly committing treason1 and continue to restrict his movements and communications to conditions amounting to house arrest over two years later2 ,whereas1 having outlawed the ,,cnrp on ,november #af1 #bjag1 having banned #aah of its members from politics1 and having passed amendments to its ,law on ,political ,parties that were intended to stifle independent political parties1 the ,,cpp won all #abe ,national ,assembly seats in the ,july #bi1 #bjah1 national election2 ,whereas the ,department of ,state noted in its #bjah ,human ,rights ,report on ,cambodia instances of arbitrary deprivation of life and other unlawful or politically motivated killings1 arbitrary arrest or detention1 denial of fair public trial1 and other violations2 ,whereas ,freedom ,house assessed ,cambodia to be not free in its ,freedom in the ,world #bjai report2 ,whereas the crackdown by the government of ,cambodia on the political opposition and other independent voices has caused many ,,cnrp leaders to flee abroad2 ,whereas1 according to ,human ,rights ,watch1 on ,march #ab1 #bjai1 a court criminally charged and issued arrest warrants for eight leading members of the ,,cnrp who had left ,cambodia ahead of the ,july #bjah election3 ,sam ,rainsy1 ,mu ,sochua1 ,ou ,chanrith1 ,eng ,chhai ,eang1 ,men ,sothavarin1 ,long ,ry1 ,tob ,van ,chan1 and ,ho ,vann2 ,whereas the government of ,cambodia has arrested many opposition party members and democracy activists who remained in ,cambodia1 including bringing charges against more than #gj former ,,cnrp members and detaining at least #ce of them since ,,cnrp members announced in ,august #bjai that they might return to the country2 ,whereas a ,cambodian court ordered a new investigation into two ,radio ,free ,asia journalists charged with espionage even after two years of inquiry found insufficient evidence of wrongdoing and after numerous human rights experts and a bipartisan group of ,united ,states ,senators in a ,march #ae1 #bjah1 letter to ,hun ,sen argued that the charges were meritless2 ,whereas former ,,cnrp leader1 ,sam ,rainsy1 and other members of the ,,cnrp and supporters of democracy intend to return to ,cambodia on ,november #i1 #bjai2 ,whereas ,prime ,minister ,hun ,sen threatened students that they would have one of their remaining fingers cut off if they joined the cause of the returning democracy activists and ordered the military to attack any ,,cnrp gatherings on ,november #i1 #bjai2 ,whereas according to ,amnesty ,international1 two youth activists have been arbitrarily detained since ,july for attempting to peacefully commemorate the murder of a popular government critic2 ,whereas1 on ,november #af1 #bjag1 the ,united ,states ,senate unanimously passed ,senate ,resolution #bgi 7#aaeth ,congress71 a bipartisan resolution reaffirming the commitment of the ,united ,states to promote democracy1 human rights1 and the rule of law in ,cambodia2 and ,whereas the ,asia ,reassurance ,initiative ,act of #bjah 7,public ,law #aae-dji7 prohibits the authorization of appropriations to the government of ,cambodia until the ,secretary of ,state certifies that ,cambodia is taking effective steps in several areas1 including the restoration of the civil and political rights of the ,,cnrp1 media1 and civil society organizations3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 urges the government of ,cambodia to immediately and unconditionally-- 7,a7 release all political prisoners2 7,b7 drop all politically motivated charges against the ,,cnrp and civil society activists2 and 7,c7 restore full political rights to the ,,cnrp2 7#b7 deplores-- 7,a7 the deterioration of democracy and fundamental human rights in ,cambodia2 7,b7 the continued imprisonment and judicial harassment of journalists1 prisoners of conscience1 and other political prisoners by the government of ,cambodia2 7,c7 the breakdown of the rule of law and the lack of due process in ,cambodia2 and 7,d7 the potential for mass arrests and violence if and when ,,cnrp members currently overseas return to ,cambodia2 7#c7 holds ,prime ,minister ,hun ,sen directly responsible for the safety1 health1 and welfare of exiled ,,cnrp leaders and their supporters upon their return to ,cambodia2 7#d7 calls on other governments throughout the ,indo-,pacific to-- 7,a7 urge the government of ,cambodia to allow the peaceful return of exiled ,,cnrp leaders and their supporters2 and 7,b7 refrain from unjustly restricting the rights of ,,cnrp members to travel to and through their countries as they return2 and 7#e7 recognizes1 in the absence of systemic democratic reforms1 the need for additional ,united ,states ,government measures1 including through legislation and executive action4