Washington, DC – Congressman Steve Chabot (R-OH), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Cambodia, released the following statement about the U.S. State Department’s decision to restrict visas for individuals responsible for undermining democracy in Cambodia:

“This is absolutely the appropriate response to the crackdown in Cambodia, and I commend the Administration for taking action. I have long said that Prime Minister Hun Sen’s total disregard for Cambodia’s democracy and willingness to use the levers of power to stack the political deck is not acceptable. The visa restriction sends a clear message to Hun Sen and clearly demonstrates our support for democracy in Cambodia.”

On November 16, Chabot and Congressman Allen Lowenthal (D-CA), co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Cambodia, released a statement condemning the dissolution of the main opposition political party in Cambodia by the Cambodian Supreme Court and Prime Minister Hun Sen’s regime.

Also in November, hours before the Cambodian Supreme Court decision to dissolve the opposition party, Chabot met with Sam Rainsy, Cambodia’s exiled opposition leader, to discuss next steps and US-Cambodia relations.

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