Labor and Human Rights in Cambodia
Hearing Notice
Co-hosted by the Congressional Cambodia Caucus
Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and the Congressional Cambodia Caucus for a hearing on human rights, including labor rights, in Cambodia.
Since 2015 the Cambodian government, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, has increasingly restricted political and social activism, civil society, independent media, and foreign-funded democracy programs. During 2015-2017, more than 25 opposition members and government critics were arrested, and many fled the country. On July 10, 2016, government critic Kem Ley was killed under suspicious circumstances. In 2017, the Cambodian Foreign Ministry expelled the National Democratic Institute (NDI) on the grounds that it was not registered with the government; closed 32 radio frequencies affecting stations relaying Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and Voice of Democracy; and ordered the independent English-language newspaper Cambodia Daily to shut down, ostensibly for failing to pay taxes. In November 2017 the Supreme Court of Cambodia, at the government’s behest, dissolved the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the country’s principal opposition party. As a result, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) ran virtually unopposed in the 2018 National Assembly election. In November 2018 the government ended the work of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, charged with prosecuting former Khmer Rouge officials for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Meanwhile, economic development has entailed social and environmental costs. Hundreds of thousands of Cambodians reportedly have been displaced as government, business, and foreign entities, often in collusion, have confiscated their land and homes, sometimes forcibly or without proper compensation, to make way for agricultural, mining, logging, tourism, and urban development projects. Cambodia has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world and illegal logging continues, due to strong demand from China, Thailand and Vietnam, corruption, and suppression of environmental activists. Labor relations have shown signs of strain as the garment industry has developed, while human trafficking via debt-based coercion is a significant concern.
Witnesses will examine the multiple, interacting dimensions of the deteriorating human rights situation in Cambodia and offer recommendations for congressional action.
This hearing will be open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the interested public, and the media. The hearing will be livestreamed via the Commission website and will also be available for viewing on Channel 56 of the House Digital Channel service. For any questions, please contact Kimberly Stanton at 202-225-3599 (for Co-Chair McGovern) or Piero Tozzi at 202-225-3765 (for Co-Chair Smith).
Hosted by:
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James P. McGovern
Member of Congress Co-Chair, TLHRC
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Christopher H. Smith
Member of Congress Co-Chair, TLHRC
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Alan Lowenthal
Member of Congress Executive Committee, TLHRC Co-Chair, Cambodia Caucus |
Steve Chabot
Member of Congress Co-Chair, Cambodia Caucus |
Opening Remarks
- Rep. Alan Lowenthal, Executive Committee, TLHRC
Written Remarks - Rep. Steve Chabot, Co-Chair, Congressional Cambodia Caucus
Witnesses
Panel I
- Tola Moeun, Executive Director, Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights CENTRAL
Written testimony - Teang Pa, Executive Director, Cambodia Center for Independent Media
Written testimony - Jessica Champagne, Deputy Director for Field Operations and Strategy, Worker Rights Consortium
Written testimony - Daniel K. Mitchell, Jr., CEO, GreenWolf International Ltd. and Managing Director, SRP International (Cambodia) Ltd.
Written testimony - Olivia Enos, Senior Policy Analyst, Asian Studies Center, The Heritage Foundation
Written testimony - John Sifton, Asia Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch
Written testimony
Submitted for the Record
- Rep. James P. McGovern, Co-Chair, TLHRC, Statement Submitted for the Record
- Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Co-Chair, TLHRC, Statement Submitted for the Record
- Joint NGO Letter to the U.N. Human Rights Council, August 30, 2019
Transcript
Labor and Human Rights in Cambodia