Joint Committee on Cambodia Democracy Mass Rally on the World Human Rights Day At Washington DC, 10 December 2017 & One million signatures to restore the Paris Peace Agreements for Cambodia during this 26th Anniversary Attention to: 1. Donald Trump Jr., President of the United States of America 2. Mr. António Guterres, Secretary General, United Nations Mr. Joko Widodo, President, Republic of Indonesia (Co-Chair of the 1991 Paris Conference on Cambodia) Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President, The French Republic (Co-Chair of the 1991 Paris Conference on Cambodia) 3. His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia Kem Sokha, President, Cambodia National Rescue Party Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 4. Retno Marsudi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Indonesia 5. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, France 6. Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia 7. His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Brunei Darussalam 8. Chrystia Freeland, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Canada 9. Wang Yi, Foreign Minister, People’s Republic of China 10. Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs, India 11. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan 12. Saleumxay Kommasith, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Laos 13. Dato’ Sri Anifah Aman, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Malaysia 14. Alan Peter Cayetano, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Philippines 15. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Singapore 16. Don Pramudwinai, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Thailand 17. Sergey Lavrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Russia 18. Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, United Kingdom 19. Rex W. Tillerson, Secretary of State, United States of America 20. Phạm Bình Minh, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Viet Nam BACKGROUND OF THIS PETITION: The October 23, 1991 Comprehensive Cambodian Peace Agreement referred to as the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement consists of: · The Final Act of the Paris Conference on Cambodia; · Agreement on the Political Settlement of the Cambodia Conflict; · Agreement Concerning the Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity and Inviolability, Neutrality and National Unity of Cambodia · Declaration on the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Cambodia. This Paris Peace Agreement provided provisions to promote national reconciliation and to ensure the exercise of the right of self-determination of the Cambodian people through free, fair, and transparent elections. In addition, they provide for a ceasefire and cessation of outside military assistance and for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Cambodia. They also deal with Human Rights protection including the voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons and delineate the Mandate of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). Article 5(4): In the event of serious violations of human rights in Cambodia, they will call upon the competent organs of the United Nations to take such other steps as are appropriate for the prevention and suppression of such violations in accordance with the relevant international instruments. On its 26th Anniversary, we, the Cambodian people of both domestic and abroad have joint the Mass Rally on the World Human Rights Day of December 10, 2017 and to collect one million signatures to petition the signatory countries of the Paris Peace Agreements-Cambodia. The eighteen (18) countries included the French and the Indonesian Foreign Minister acted as co-Presidents. Also participating in his official capacity was the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Especially, the five permanent members of the Security Council: China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We, the Cambodian people need to remind them that, Mr. Hun Sen is breaching and violating this Paris Peace Agreement; it is unacceptable! Therefore, we, the Cambodian people needed the signatory countries more than ever to enforce the Paris Peace Agreement. The Dictatorial politics led by Mr. Hun Sen in Cambodia violated all the provisions in the Paris Peace Agreements. Cambodian people need your immediate intervention. Otherwise, Cambodia and her people will never live in with dignity, grace, and integrity. VIOLATIONS OF PARIS PEACE AGREEMENTS: We condemn, in the strongest terms, the escalated and systemic crackdowns on Democracy-- 1991 Paris Peace Accords, Opposition Parties, Non-governmental organizations, Unions, and Independent Media, ahead of the upcoming Senate election on February 25, 2018 and general parliamentary election on July 29, 2018. These recent political developments are strangling Cambodia's fledgling democracy.  ATTACKS ON PARIS PEACE ACCORDS o Paris Peace Accords is dead, declared by Hun Sen on October 11, 2017. According to Hun Sen, the same 1991 Paris Peace Accords, that brought peace, democracy and human rights to modern Cambodia, is a ghost of the past.  ATTACKS ON OPPOSITIONS o On October 16, 2017 the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) unilaterally amended the election laws to distribute all 5,700+ elected seats of Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the main Opposition, to other political parties o Using the court, Hun Sen moved to dissolve CNRP in November 16, 2017 and all seats of law-makers and Commune-Sangkat chiefs and councillors have been illegally redistributed. o Unconstitutional and extrajudicial arrest of Mr. Kem Sokha, President of CNRP o Threaten to arrest other CNRP leaders, such as Ms. Mu Sochua, VP of CNRP o Forced exile of Mr. Sam Rainsy, former-President of CNRP o Imprisonment of 2 opposition parliamentarians and 19 other opposition activists  ATTACKS ON INDEPENDENT MEDIA o Forced closing of Cambodia Daily, an independent English-Khmer newspaper o Forced closing of 19 local radio stations that re-broadcasted Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA)  ATTACKS ON CIVIL SOCIETY (Non-Governmental Organizations) o The new Law on Associations and NGOs (LANGO) restricts Civil Society space o Forced shut down of the National Democratic Institute, after 25 years of positive contribution to democracy-building in Cambodia o Arrest of Mr. Kem Sok, a well-known political commentator, and other community activists for speaking out against Hun Sen o Extrajudicial killing of Dr. Kem Ley, the highly-respected political commentator  ATTACKS ON TRADE UNIONS o The new law on Trade Unions reduces and restricts the workers' rights SOLUTION PROPOSAL: 1. The United Nations and the 18 signatory countries could not ignore the ongoing setback of democracy development in Cambodia especially the intent of government-led party which has dissolved and redistributed the parliamentary seats and Commune-Sangkat chiefs and councilors of the opposition party Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) prior to the upcoming elections. 2. Support the McCain-Durbin Senate Resolution S.Res. 279, “A Resolution Reaffirming the Commitment of the United States to Promote Democracy, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law in Cambodia.” We respectfully ask you, Mr. President, to order relevant US government agencies to carry out actions to support all Senate resolutions. 3. Hold the Cambodian government accountable for violating the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements, which guaranteed human rights and democracy for the people of Cambodia, by a) imposing and sanctions on Hun Sen and high level officials of his government, including travel and economic restrictions, b) applying the Global Magnitsky Act and The Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act to hold Cambodian governmental, judicial and legislative officials responsible for colluding with and helping Hun Sen unlawfully jail Cambodians and US citizens such as Kem Sokha, Sovannara Meach, Um Sam An and many others, in politically motivated prosecutions. 4. Refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the Hun Sen government and take actions to disband or hold its prestigious membership of the United Nations and international agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. 5. Urge to restore back political normalities by reinstating Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), its 55 law-makers, its 2007 Commune-Sangkat chiefs and councilors, freeing Kem Sokha and all political prisoners. 6. Urge free, fair and transparent elections, free of threats towards political parties and National Election Committee (NEC) for the upcoming Senate election in February 25, 2018 and the Parliamentary election in July 29, 2018. Thank you very much,