The U.S. has ordered an arms embargo on Cambodia, citing deepening Chinese military influence, corruption and human rights abuses in the Southeast Asian country.
The added restrictions on defense-related goods and services, issued by the State and Commerce departments, are due to be published and take effect Thursday.
At the time, the U.S. government issued an advisory cautioning American businesses about potential exposure to entities Cambodia and its military that “engage in human rights abuses, corruption and other destabilizing conduct.”those sanctions as “politically motivated” and said it would not discuss them with Washington.
The U.S. halted military assistance to Cambodia following a 1997 coup in which the country’s leader, Hun Sen, grabbed full power after ousting his co-premier, Prince Norodom Ranariddh. Hun Sen remains prime minister. In August 2005, President George W. Bush waved the ban, citing Phnom Penh’s agreement to exempt Americans in Cambodia from prosecution by the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court.
The construction of new Chinese military facilities at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base is a point of strong contention with Washington.