US imposes arms embargo on Cambodia over human rights abuses and rising Chinese influence

The United States Department of Commerce announced on Wednesday that the nation has imposed a trade embargo on "sensitive items" against Cambodia in response to the regime's human rights breaches, corruption, and growing Chinese influence in the country. As per a press release from the US Department of Commerce, the Department has imposed additional limits on exports and reexports to Cambodia, end-use and end-user restrictions, as well as in-country movements of sensitive products which are subjected to the Export Administration Regulations. #NEWS: Commerce Adds Export Controls on Cambodia to Address Corruption, Human Rights Abuses, and Regional Security Concerns https://t.co/6EfRJ5AbiO — U.S. Commerce Dept. (@CommerceGov) December 8, 2021 The press release noted, “Today, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced new restrictions to address human rights abuses and corruption by Cambodian government actors, including the military, as well as the growing influence of the People's Republic of China's military in Cambodia." In the meantime, the US State Department put an arms embargo on Cambodia. Further, the US believes that these actions against Cambodia would limit access to dual-use products, and certain less-sensitive military items, under the jurisdiction of the Commerce Department. As per the press release, “defense articles and defense services under State (Department)'s jurisdiction, to the Cambodian military, military-intelligence services, and related entities and individuals." US firmly committed to the independence and sovereignty of Cambodia's citizens In addition to this, the United States Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo stated that the United States is firmly committed to the independence and sovereignty of Cambodia's citizens. She went on to say that the US urges the Cambodian administration to make significant progress in combating corruption and human rights violations, as well as to act to limit the Chinese military's influence in Cambodia, which poses a danger to regional and world security. Furthermore, the press release reads that in the final regulation, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) added Cambodia to Country Group D:5 (U.S. Arms Embargoed countries) in accordance with the State's implementation of the arms embargo on Cambodia under the State's authority. BIS also implemented a stricter evaluation procedure for license applications including national security-sensitive material, independent of the end-user. It also makes Cambodian end-users ineligible for, or subject to further restrictions on, certain licensing exceptions for exports, reexports, as well as in transfers. Applications to export or reexport commodities to Cambodia for both military and military intelligence's end-users or end-uses will be examined with a presumption of refusal. (Image: AP)

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US imposes arms embargo on Cambodia over human rights abuses and rising Chinese influence

The US Department of Commerce announced that the Department has imposed additional limits on exports and reexports to Cambodia, end-user restrictions

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