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Pelosi Statement on Congressional Delegation Visit to Cambodia

March 30, 2015
Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued this statement following the conclusion of a two-day visit to Cambodia:
"Today, our delegation was received by Prime Minister Hun Sen. For more than two hours, we engaged in a dialogue about issues related to the suppression of freedom of expression and association, corruption, and unfair labor practices and land rights. The Prime Minister gave us his view of Cambodia-U.S. relations in past decades. The discussion was constructive, candid and useful in addressing the challenges ahead.
"Today, we also met with key leaders in civil society to hear their perspective about the state of free expression in Cambodia. They raised concerns about the independence of the judiciary, free and fair elections, proposed restrictions on Internet freedom, and violations of workers' rights. Their presentations were consistent with the recent Human Rights Watch report on garment factories, which we called to the attention of the Prime Minister.
"On Sunday, our delegation toured a Halo Trust facility supported by U.S. funding and technology in Siem Reap. The Halo Trust is doing amazing work clearing land mines and returning land safely back to the Cambodian people. Since 2001, the U.S. has committed $50 million to this initiative, and Defense Department technologies are key to its success.
"We later visited Salvation Centre Cambodia at Wat Thmey, a Cambodian-run organization supported by USAID dedicated to improving the lives of Cambodians, especially children, living with HIV/AIDS. Throughout this country, U.S. efforts against HIV/AIDS, through USAID and PEPFAR, are putting Cambodia on track for an AIDS-free generation by 2020. While at Wat Thmey, we also visited the Killing Fields memorial dedicated to the victims of genocide under the Khmer Rouge regime.
"Our first day began with a visit to the Angkor Wat Complex, including Phnom Bakheng, which has received a significant amount of U.S. government funding through the Ambassadors' Fund for Cultural Preservation."