Licadho's letter sent to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinto
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
US Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Clinton,
We write to welcome you to Cambodia, and to summarize what we perceive as the most pressing human rights issues affecting Cambodia’s relationship with the United States.
The United States has invested millions of dollars and considerable effort in assisting Cambodia’s development and democratization since 1991. This effort has yielded positive results: Cambodia has witnessed an era of relative stability and peace, while the United States has benefited from Cambodia’s emergence as an ally and business partner.
In 2010, the US-Cambodia partnership faces a serious threat. Cambodian democracy has entered a precipitous decline. The institutions required for checks and balances and self-government – which were painstakingly built with the help of the US government – are in the process of being systematically dismantled by the ruling party. If left unchecked, the inevitable result of this process will be Cambodia’s degeneration into a pariah state, shunned by the international community and useless as an ally. Of course, the inevitable result will also be much worse for ordinary Cambodians.
